Nobody in their right mind would ever use the adjective "fun" to describe a film by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Best known for movies like Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel and Biutiful, the filmmaker doesn't so much use his movies to show hope and brightness in life, but instead usually uses them to crush happiness and give audiences mild cases of depression. So of course Inarritu's next film is going to be a comedy.
The Hollywood Reporter is saying that the Mexican filmmaker's next project will be Birdman, a laugher that he co-wrote with Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo. An original premise, the movie is about an actor way past his prime. Earlier in his career he had made it big by playing an iconic superhero (presumably Birdman), but he has since lost all of his fame and fortune. In an attempt to see his name in lights once again, he decides that his best course of action is to stage a Broadway play. The film will have an interesting structure, as it will all take place in one location over the course of three days. There are no names mentioned as possibilities for the lead, but they are aiming to get production started in March, so expect casting announcements soon.
On the dramatic side, Inarritu is still playing on making the gritty revenge thriller The Revenant. That project has caught the interest of Leonardo DiCaprio, who the trade says "has been flirting with [it] on-and-off for month." Assuming that Birdman does come together in time to shoot early next year that film will probably be his follow-up.
