The plot of Darren Aronofsky’s next film has largely been under wraps since it was announced — but this week’s CinemaCon convention, and an individual close to project that spoke to TheWrap, revealed the director is going back to “Black Swan” territory with his latest.
Aronofsky’s “mother!” will be a horror-thriller, and a star-studded one at that. Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem lead a cast that includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Domnhall Gleeson, Ed Harris and Kristen Wiig.
At this week’s annual convention of movie exhibitors, Paramount Domestic Distribution chief Kyle Davies let the cat out of the bag, promising “thrills and chills” from Aronofsky and company upon the film’s Halloween-season release.
A second individual with close knowledge of the project confirmed Davies’ description is accurate — Aronofsky is flirting with the same psycho-horror that won Natalie Portman an Oscar for the unraveling ballerina she played in “Black Swan.”
“mother!” did have a vague synopsis floating around, described as: “A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.”
Expect things to be much darker than some unexpected visitors (though we pray this film crosses over into one of our favorite movie genres, Dinner Parties From Hell).
This is the first collaboration for real-life couple Aronofsky and Lawrence. Paramount will open the film wide on Oct. 13.
The filmmaker also wrote the script, and produces through his Protozoa Pictures. “Arrival” composer Jóhann Jóhannsson is on board for original score. Scott Franklin and Ari Handel are producers with Jeff G. Waxman on board as executive producer.
12 Movies That Served Up Dinner Parties From Hell (Photos)
From "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" to "Get Out," TheWrap lists 11 films that depict a situation in which dinners (or weekends) go wrong.
This 1966 classic "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" with famous flames Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton could easily qualify as the original "Dinner Party From Hell," when a couple perform their private crises in front of two friends over a meal.
Paramount
1967's "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" isn't necessarily a thriller, but it's still a lasting symbol of the pain, conflict and true social awkwardness that arises when breaking bread with others -- and it further added to the legends of Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.
Columbia Pictures
In 1985's "Clue," the famed parlor game is brought to life with a very formal dinner at a patron's home that leads to murder and mayhem for Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard and Professor Plum.
Paramount
The Manhattan transplants living in a haunted New York country house in the 1988 classic "Beetlejuice" throw a dinner party to impress their friends. The undead, Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, have different plans.
Warner Bros.
The underrated 1995 indie gem "The Last Supper" boasted an eclectic cast in Cameron Diaz, Courtney B. Vance, Bill Paxton and Annabeth Gish. It follows a group of ultra-liberal housemates who begin an odd tradition of inviting right-wingers and zealots for dinner -- and poisoning them for dessert.
Sony Pictures
1999's "House on Haunted Hill" might be a horror classic, but it certainly inspired dozens of copycats over its basic premise -- invite a handful of seeming strangers for a weekend getaway, and terrorize every last one of them.
Monogram Pictures
Robert Altman's 2001 period film "Gosford Park," about a couture-laden weekend hunt in the English countryside, becomes and upstairs/downstairs meditation on class (and, uh, murder) in one of his best and final films.
Focus Features
An aspiring employee (Paul Rudd) has to recruit an embarrassing dinner guest (Steve Carrell) at the cruel request of his boss in 2010's "Dinner With Schmucks."
Paramount
In 2013's "August: Osage County," the reconvening of an impossibly dysfunctional mid-Western family went from Pulitzer Prize winning play to the big screen in 2013 -- and features a wrenching luncheon confrontation that ends in a electric physical brawl between Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.
Weinstein Company
In this Sundance heatseeker, dark things unfold in "Complete Unknown" when Michael Shannon throws a dinner party, and swears he's met a guests mysterious plus one (Rachel Weisz). She denies their connection, but the truth slowly unfolds.
Sundance
"The Invitation" starring Logan Marshall-Green, Michiel Huisman and John Carroll Lynch couldn't feature a worse dinner party. A group of friends realize their hosts are part of a controversial new cult.
Drafthouse FIlms
Not quite a "dinner party" from hell, but a weekend from hell. An interracial couple (played by Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams) go to visit her family's estate for the weekend. Once there, he finds out her family had other plans for him.
Universal
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Jordan Peele’s ”Get Out“ is the latest movie to depict a pleasant evening gone wrong
From "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" to "Get Out," TheWrap lists 11 films that depict a situation in which dinners (or weekends) go wrong.