Director Guillermo del Toro has begun principal photography on Nightmare Alley.
Based on the novel of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham, in the film, Stanton “Stan” Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), an ambitious young carnival worker with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words, hooks up with female psychiatrist Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett) who is even more dangerous than he is.
The book – published in 1946 – was first adapted for film in 1947, starring Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell and Helen Walker. Regarded as a classic now, it was a financial flop at the time.
del Toro’s adaptation also stars Academy Award nominee Toni Collette, Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe, Academy Award nominee Richard Jenkins, Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, and Academy Award nominee David Strathairn. del Toro is directing, and has co-written the script with Kim Morgan.
Guillermo del Toro said “I’m inspired and elated to be joined by this brilliant cast. Kim Morgan and I have worked with great passion to bring the dark, raw world and language of William Gresham to the screen and now we are joined by a superb group of artists and technicians to bring it to life.”
The carnival cast includes carnival worker Molly (Rooney Mara), head barker Clem (Willem Dafoe), and Ron Perlman as Bruno the Strongman. Richard Jenkins is part of the high society crowd as wealthy industrialist Ezra Grindle.
Joining del Toro on the film are long time collaborators costume designer Luis Sequeira (The Shape of Water, Mama), director of photography Dan Laustsen, ASC, DFF (The Shape Of Water, John Wick: Parabellum), and visual effects supervisor Dennis Berardi (The Shape Of Water, Crimson Peak), production designer Tamara Deverell (Star Trek: Discovery, The Strain) and editor Cam McLauchlin (The Shape Of Water, The Strain).
Searchlight Pictures, part of Walt Disney Studios, will distribute the picture worldwide.
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