Filmmaker Andrew Haigh’s follow up to the incredible All Of Us Strangers will reportedly be Belly Of The Beast – a true crime thriller set in 1980s New York.
Despite releasing back in January, there’s every chance that at the end of this year, writer-director Andrew Haigh’s All Of Us Strangers (pictured) will still hold the crown for film of 2024. At the very least it will be on lots of shortlists, and as such, interest has been running high over what Haigh would do next. Now that project has been revealed – a period drama-thriller called Belly Of The Beast – we’re very excited indeed.
According to Deadline, the project is headed to Cannes next week with the director and stars already attached. Given the acclaim surrounding Haigh’s last film and the involvement of both Colin Farrell and Ben Stiller, we’d imagine that this will be a popular package deal indeed.
Here’s what we know already. The film will be adapted from Jerome Loving’s nonfiction book, Jack and Norman: A State-Raised Convict and the Legacy of Norman Mailer’s The Executioner’s Song. The film will ‘tell the timely and true story of the unlikely friendship between notorious literary titan Norman Mailer (Stiller) and his protégé, Jack Henry Abbott (Farrell).’
Read more: All Of Us Strangers | A sort-of review with a star rating at the end
The film will follow actual historical events, described as thus: ‘Bolstered by Mailer’s mentorship, Abbott is paroled after nearly a decade in prison; he gains instant popularity among the literary elite but struggles with life on the outside. When Mailer, creatively frustrated and envious of Jack’s rising star, turns his back on his infamous protégé, Jack spirals – committing an unforgivable act of violence in a New York City diner just six weeks after his release.’
It all sounds intriguing, and on a personal level, this writer is a sucker for films that attempt to recapture the seedy danger of pre-sanitised New York. Some films manage it better than others and we’re keen to see how Haigh plans to capture the tone and spirit of the era.
We’ll bring you more on Belly Of The Beast as we hear it. In the meantime, you can catch our review of All Of Us Strangers here. The film is also getting a physical media release in June.
