Ari Aster took Hollywood and the horror genre by storm with his one-two punch of “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” in 2018 and 2019. So, naturally, everyone cannot wait for his next film, “Disappointment Blvd.,” to have its world premiere somewhere (anywhere!) to see if his third film measures up to his first pair. The new movie, a comedy horror, stars Joaquin Phoenix and, according to its logline, is “an intimate, decades-spanning portrait of one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time.” So, a horror-tinged “Citizen Kane“? Beyond additional casting and a rumored four-hour runtime, the only other known factor at the moment is that the film may come out later this year.
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Or perhaps not. According to Aster’s recent interview with the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, the director still has a way to go in the post-production process. In fact, he still has so much to do he doubts he’ll finish the film in time for festivals this Fall. According to a translation, when the paper asked Aster why he didn’t know a final release date for “Disappointment Blvd.,” he replied, “Because it is not finished! I am a perfectionist, I take the entire manufacturing process very seriously. Despite time and money restrictions. It is also good to preserve the mystery.” So, basically, Aster won’t declare a premiere date until he finishes post-production.
Aster continued, “In reality, the post-production is not finished, I do not even have the final editing. I still have work to do on sound and visual effects. I doubt I’m done for the September festivals.” So, that rules out a world premiere for “Disappointment Blvd.” at Venice, TIFF, or even the New York Film Festival, which means audiences may need to wait until 2023 for the film. And that’s fine, as there’s no legitimate reason Aster should rush his creative process for the sake of a 2022 release.
While moviegoers may need to wait for the new film longer than expected, Aster teased that Phoenix’s performance in the movie is a knockout. “But I can tell you that collaborating with Joaquin Phoenix is one of the best experiences of my life, “he said, “I am very proud of his performance and I love him with all my heart. “Disappointment Blvd.” also boasts a big ensemble cast beyond Phoenix. Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan, Kylie Rogers, and Parker Posey also star in the film. The film also includes Stephen McKinley Henderson, Michael Gandolfini, Denis Ménochet, and Richard Kind.
So, in short: “Disappointment Blvd.” is still on its way, but it likely won’t hit the Fall 2022 festival circuit. Take your time, Mr. Aster. The film remains one of the industry’s most-anticipated, even if we have to wait a little longer.
