Ari Aster is one of those directors at the forefront of “elevated horror.” The term still rings true, whatever your opinion is on it. That said, the director has garnered a strong fanbase for his previous films, Hereditary and Midsommar. So we’ve eagerly been waiting to hear more news about this upcoming film starring Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix, and we now know that Beau Is Afraid will be the title of Aster’s newest from A24.
Originally titled Disappointment Blvd, the film’s plot has mostly been under wraps. However, A24 released a poster for the movie that has finally hit the internet with its new title, and something about it looks off. The long-in-the-works feature is slated for a 2023 release date in theaters, but the hype continues to build for Beau Is Afraid.
Check out the poster below:
The design of the main focus on the poster resonates a little bit of that “Uncanny Valley” vibe. The poster shows a child dressed in silk pajamas, in what is likely a younger version of Phoenix’s character. Ari Aster has said in previous interviews that the film would be a four-hour-long “nightmare comedy”. In addition, there have been rumors online about the story of Beau Is Afraid and even the possibility of the script leaking online.
There’s also a short film that Aster made in 2011 called Beau, of which the plot reads:
A neurotic middle-aged man’s trip (to visit his mother) is delayed indefinitely when his keys are mysteriously taken from his door. He is subsequently haunted by an increasingly sinister chain of upsetting events.
Unfortunately, as of today, you might not be able to find it on YouTube for copyright reasons.
Whether Ari Aster is revisiting his horror route is a topic the director has discussed. Aster said in a recent interview that his next feature would not be a horror film.
The director said, “It might take me a few movies before I wind back around to [horror], but I love horror, and I’m sure I’ll be back.”
Poking some fun at his previous work, Aster added, “Head trauma will ALWAYS have a place in my films.”
Beau Is Afraid will also feature Nathan Lane, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan, and Parker Posey starring alongside Phoenix. The film wrapped production in October 2021, but no concrete date has been set. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for additional updates on the film as we have them.