Yes, James Gray is still hard at work, putting the finishing touches on his upcoming sci-fi epic “Ad Astra,” starring Brad Pitt. However, that isn’t stopping the filmmaker from lining up his future projects.
According to RT Features, the production company has teamed with Gray on a new semi-autobiographical film about life in 1980s New York City, titled “Armageddon Time.” The film is written and will be directed by Gray. “Armageddon Time” is being described as a memoir-type film that will cover life in Queens during that era. However, Variety adds a wrinkle saying that the film will also include Fred Trump and his son Donald J. Trump as supporting characters.
Say what?
Well, in an interesting twist of fate, “Armageddon Time” is said to pull from Gray’s time attending Kew-Forest School in Queens. The aforementioned Fred Trump served on the board for the school, and his son, Donald, is an alumnus. The film is said to include the Principal of Kew-Forest School as a central character.
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However, don’t expect this film to be some sort of Trump takedown. The era (the 1980s) is well before Trump ever stepped foot in the White House, even though he was a polarizing figure, even then. Presumably, Gray’s film will focus more on the story at hand and not focus so much on the Trumps.
Gray said, “RT Features is the best partner a director could ask for — they’ve got great taste, and they know how to support the filmmaker; I’m thrilled to be working with them again.”
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“I am very happy to continue our partnership with James and embark on our second feature together, especially on such an intimate project,” said RT Features’ Rodrigo Teixeira. “He pitched this idea to me during one of our lunch breaks on the set of ‘Ad Astra.’ I have always loved watching his films and we bonded over film trivia – his knowledge is just incredible! It has always been a career dream to work with James.”
As mentioned, Gray is currently wrapping up “Ad Astra,” and is supposed to helm “I Am Pilgrim” next. That being said, “Armageddon Time” is said to be casting now, with an eye towards production beginning in early 2020. So, we’ll just have to see which project Gray lines up next after his Brad Pitt film.