Julia Ducournau is one of those directors from whom we need to see more. With only two movies released to date, she has managed to become one of the most important voices in the horror genre. For her work in the amazing “Titane,” the filmmaker was awarded the Palme d’Or, making her the first woman to win this award solo.
It was evident that she was destined for great things since the release of “Raw.” Her film about a young vegetarian at veterinary school who becomes a cannibal caused several people to faint at the festival circuit where it premiered in 2016, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Now, the production and distribution companies behind Julia Ducournau’s upcoming picture, “Alpha,” are hoping to sell her project at the same venue where she created a buzz: Cannes. Here, check out everything you need to know.
Julia Ducournau’s Alpha cast
Little information is known about the film yet, but we do have the names of the main actors, Golshifteh Farahani and Tahar Rahim. Farahani is known for her work alongside Adam Driver in Jim Jarmusch’s 2016 film “Paterson,” while Rahim has recently starred in “Madame Web” and “Napoleon,” both in supporting roles.
As it’s a common practice in Hollywood, it’s very likely that these two actors are seeking to rise to stardom with a horror movie. This is something that Julia Ducournau has successfully achieved with previous collaborators, like Agathe Rousselle and Garance Marillier, who solidified their celebrity status after leading “Titane” and “Raw,” respectively.
Furthermore, we can also expect them to portray a couple because, although being cautious with her words, Julia Ducournau teased a romantic drama in a 2021 interview with CNN: “I know what I’m going to explore next, but I can’t talk about it. But love, love, love, again. Always love.”
What will Julia Ducornau’s Alpha be about?
As there is not even an estimated release date announced, there is also no plot or synopsis available. However, given Julia Ducournau’s preference for working with static themes and her focus on the horror genre, we can speculate on the direction of her upcoming project.
Filmnation and Charades, the companies responsible for selling “Alpha” in the Cannes market, stated that “Alpha is Julia’s most personal, profound work yet, and we are looking forward to a global audience discovering the story with as much excitement as we did. It’s a new page in Julia Ducournau’s corpus that is both very consistent with the previous ones and entirely new in its tone.”
With this declaration, we can expect “Alpha” to be another film that shocks audiences. If it delves deeper than her previous filmography, it’s highly likely to explore the unsettling themes of body horror, attracting as many viewers as it repels.
