Asif Kapadia, the Oscar-winning director of “Amy” and “Senna,” is set to direct a new documentary film called “2073” that will look to the future and the challenges that will face the world 50 years from now.
Inspired by “La Jetée,” the classic, experimental science fiction film from 1962 directed by Chris Marker, Kapadia’s movie is a thriller looking at a dystopian future set in 2073. “La Jetée” was about a time traveler who tries to change history after an apocalyptic and nuclear World War III. The film was constructed entirely of black and white still photos and served as much of the premise for Terry Gilliam’s sci-fi “12 Monkeys.”
“I want to make an epic about the state of the world, using elements of science fiction as a lens through which to examine the huge questions we are facing as a species and hopefully find solutions, before it’s too late,” Kapadia said in a statement.
Double Agent, Neon and Film4 will all co-finance and executive produce “2073,” and both Kapadia and George Chignell will produce the film.
Davis Guggenheim, Nicole Stott and Jonathan Silberberg will act as executive producers for Concordia Studio alongside Riz Ahmed’s Left Handed Films. Kapadia will reunite with his regular creative team on the film, including editor Chris King and composer Antonio Pinto.
Kapadia’s last documentary was “Diego Maradona” about the soccer legend, and he made his debut fiction feature on the film “The Warrior” starring the late Irrfan Khan. He’s also a series director and executive producer on “1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything.”
“We bet on filmmakers, and Asif is among the very best out there. His track record really speaks for itself as he consistently delivers unparalleled storytelling, so this is a truly formidable team between Neon, Film4, Concordia, and Left Handed. We are all proud to be joining forces on this innovative, bold and unconventional look at the future,” Double Agent president Dana O’Keefe said.
“Asif is a consistently ground-breaking filmmaker who we’ve been lucky enough to work with on a number of his previous films,” said Ollie Madden, director of Film4. “This new project, a documentary-style vision of the future, as terrifying as it is an urgent call to action, had us immediately hooked. We can’t wait to see what Asif and his expert team create.”
The deal was negotiated by Jeff Deutchman, Stefanie Fahrion, Michael Heimler, Don McNicholl, Dana O’Keefe and Eric Sloss. Kapadia is represented by lawyers Carlos K. Goodman, Hannah Mulderink and Jacqueline Hurt, as well as Independent Talent Group, WME and Cinetic Media.
