Rejoice, Guillermo del Toro fans! The prolific filmmaker’s next project, Nightmare Alley, finally has a release date courtesy of Searchlight Pictures, IndieWire reports. This marks del Toro’s first major directorial feature since 2017’s The Shape of Water. Additionally, the director has another project slated for release in 2021 — Pinocchio, which is already completed.
Nightmare Alley is based on William Lindsay Gresham‘s 1946 novel of the same name. Del Toro’s flick boasts a remarkable all-star cast including Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Ron Perlman, Richard Jenkins, Willem Dafoe and David Strathairn. It’s a psychological thriller that follows an ambitious carny named Stan Carlisle (Cooper) who has a silver tongue. He’s got a gift for manipulation. Stan has a tryst with a psychiatrist called Lilith Ritter (Blanchett), who’s even more nefarious than he is. Nightmare Alley delves into the dark side of show business.
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In 1947, the book was initially adapted into a noir film starring Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell, Coleen Gray and Helen Walker. For the current iteration, del Toro was at the helm and he co-wrote the screenplay with Kim Morgan.
Now, Nightmare Alley has encountered a handful of roadblocks on the path to completion. Searchlight was previously hoping for a 2020 release but the current state of the world provided setbacks. Production was suspended on March 13 due to the ensuing COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, the project resumed work in September 2020 under rigorous health protocols. IndieWire also reported in December that the movie had finally wrapped.
Del Toro made a remark then regarding the state of filming. Will the entertainment industry ever return to normalcy? “I don’t think we can go back to what we consider the old normal. Everything will be a little altered,” he said.
While the production delays have been frustrating, I’m excited to see what del Toro has in store for us. He’s one of my favorite filmmakers and psychological thrillers are right up his alley. Not to mention, the film has a stellar cast.
Nightmare Alley is scheduled to debut on Friday, December 3, 2021.
Are you excited to see Nightmare Alley later this year? Sound off in the comments below!
Melody.McCune@geekgirlauthority.com
What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
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