Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt are about to travel back in Hollywood history, again. The two previously worked together on Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Now, these two and a fun ensemble cast are traveling further back to the 1920s in the film Babylon. While this reunion of two of the best actors working right now is thrilling, there are other reasons to get excited for Babylon. From the stellar ensemble cast to the scale and scope of this project, it’s bound to be an unforgettable experience.
After only knowing a few quick things about Babylon for a long time, Vanity Fair released first-look photos along with new information about the upcoming movie from the La La Land and Whiplash director. It takes place during the transition from silent to talking films, and when Los Angeles was just starting to turn into the capital of entertainment. While the biggest modern Hollywood actors are playing fictional characters, they are based on real Old Hollywood stars, with Robbie and Pitt leading the ensemble.
Margot Robbie And Brad Pitt Are Reunited
Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie went off and did different projects after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, like Bullet Train and Birds of Prey, after wrapping the Tarantino flick. The 2019 film was loved by many, and Pitt ended up winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. They were both powerhouses in this film, so there’s no question they will both command the screen in Babylon. Chazelle explained that both actors can relate to their characters which made it even more dynamic. He told the magazine:
Part of what was magical about working with them in these roles is that each of them felt like they were really able to make the performance the most personal thing they had done.
The two will be playing actors at two different points in their careers. Pitt’s character, Jack Conrad, is inspired by John Gilbert and Clark Gable, among others. Chazelle called his character the “uber-movie star.” Meanwhile, Robbie will be Nellie LaRoy, a new actress trying to break into the industry. Her role is based on iconic actresses like Clara Bow and Joan Crawford. Having the two play opposite will surely be electrifying.
It’s Such A Stellar and Surprising Ensemble Cast
Arguably the rest of the cast is just as exciting as Babylon’s stars. Joining Robbie and Pitt are Jean Smart, Tobey Maguire, Olivia Wilde and more. It’s such a unique ensemble; I never thought I’d see Smart and Maguire in a movie together, but I couldn’t be more excited about it.
Jean Smart has been spectacular in the world of TV, specifically HBO Max shows, with her Emmy-winning role on Hacks and her Emmy-nominated performance in the miniseries Mare of Easttown. Like the other actors in this movie, she owns the screen when she’s on it and I imagine that will continue in Babylon.
As for Tobey Maguire, while he’s been in great movies, he hasn’t done much since 2014. That said, made his return to the big screen in one of his best appearances of all time, reprising his role of Spider-Man, along with the two other Spider-Men (Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland), in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Maguire seems to like these 1920s roles since he played Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby, so it will be fun to see him take on a new role that seems so different from others he's been in with such a fun cast.
Damien Chazelle Is Taking On His Biggest Project Yet
Damien Chazelle told Vanity Fair that this project was so massive he “kept putting it off.” He had been thinking about it for a long time and decided to go for it after finishing First Man. He told the magazine this project was challenging, but also thrilling.
It was definitely the hardest thing I’ve done. Just the logistics of it, the number of characters, the scale of the set pieces, the span of time that the movie charts—it all conspired to make it particularly challenging, but it was a challenge that was pretty exciting to take on.
The filmmaker wanted to juxtapose the gorgeous, soft scenery of La La Land, which is perfectly demonstrated in that gorgeous final scene, and the dark themes of Whiplash regarding ambition.
While Damien Chazelle wrote and directed Babylon, he also called back his Academy Award-winning cinematographer and composer from La La Land, meaning it will sound and look gorgeous.
Excitement is an understatement when it comes to how I feel about this movie. Out of the films in the 2022 movie schedule, this feels like an epic we all need to keep our eye on come December.
