A24 is to finance and produce Ari Aster’s newest film, “Eddington,” a Western starring Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone and Austin Butler, the production company announced Tuesday. The film kicks off production this week.
Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell, Michael Ward and Clifton Collins Jr. round out the cast.
Aster will write and direct and produce alongside Lars Knudsen under their Square Peg banner.
The film is a Western that centers on a small-town New Mexico sheriff with higher aspirations.
Academy Award winner Darius Khondji is also attached as director of photography.
The film marks the sixth collaboration between Square Peg and A24, including “Hereditary,” “Midsommar,” “Dream Scenario,” “Death of a Unicorn” and “Beau Is Afraid,” also starring Joaquin Phoenix.
“Midsommar” writer-director Aster has spoken of his desire to make a Western before.
“I have a big Sirkian melodrama that I’m really excited about, too. I’ve got a Western and a sci-fi film that I’ve been building,” he told Inverse in 2019. “I really want to do a musical. I haven’t written one yet, but I love musicals. And I’ve got this gangster saga epic.”
Aster first broke out at the Sundance Film Festival with his 2018 horror-drama “Hereditary,” which spurred awards buzz for headliner Toni Collette’s unforgettable performance. Aster followed that up with 2019’s “Midsommar,” a twisted relationship cult horror-drama starring Florence Pugh that further solidified Aster as a promising new talent.
