So far, Ari Aster is two-for-two with feature films. “Hereditary” is clearly already a horror classic and “Midsommar” is well on its way to cult status. And it’s hard to argue against the box office success and uniqueness of Aster’s first two features. Well, it appears that for his third feature, he’s going to one-up himself in terms of star power, with Joaquin Phoenix signed on to star in “Disappointment Blvd.”
According to Deadline, Aster is staying with his buddies at A24 for his next feature, “Disappointment Blvd,” and he’s bringing along “Joker” star Joaquin Phoenix along for good measure. Not much is known about the feature, as the report describes it as “an intimate, decades-spanning portrait of one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time.” Rumors abound that Phoenix and Aster were teaming up, with most people thinking it was for a feature-length remake of the filmmakers’ “Beau is Afraid” short film. However, it would appear that either the title changed or there are some crossed wires somewhere in the rumor mill, as these two features don’t necessarily line up.
Regardless, we know two things for certain: 1) Ari Aster is going to deliver something that is probably pretty damn disturbing, and 2) Joaquin Phoenix will act the hell out of his role. And if you’re a fan of two talented folks doing their best work, “Disappointment Blvd.” has all the makings of a pretty exciting film to keep an eye out for.
And speaking of which, how long will people have to wait on “Disappointment Blvd?” Well, the report claims that Phoenix is likely set to begin work on Aster’s feature before he makes the leap into the period epic, “Kitbag,” which reteams him with Ridley Scott. With Scott kneedeep in “The Last Duel” and “Gucci” this year, Phoenix appears to have some time to set aside for Aster’s third film. So, one could hope this means 2022 is a likely destination for “Disappointment Blvd.” But as always, we’ll just have to see what happens.