The forthcoming comedy-drama Babylon, starring Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, and newcomer Diego Calva, has received a new teaser from Paramount. The movie, which is set during a particularly turbulent period in Hollywood history, depicts the “depravity and debauchery” of the motion picture business in the 1920s from the perspective of a lowly assistant, Manny, who is portrayed by Calva.
While Pitt’s seasoned movie star character Jack Conrad is a more cynical character who, after experiencing the best and worst of the industry, has decided that he prefers sticking to success, Manny is an idealist who wants to be a part of something meaningful. Robbie, on the other hand, portrays Nellie, a promising young actress who is aware of what must be done to advance. The group stands for three diverse (but inextricably linked) viewpoints on the entertainment business.
The teaser also depicts Chazelle’s personal experience in Hollywood, which has brought him considerable professional success but has also put a lot of pressure on him as an artist to live up to high expectations. The new video previews the film’s maximalist tone, which drew mixed reviews following previous screenings, and is interrupted by glimpses of an elephant, a crocodile, and a laughing Tobey Maguire.
Additionally, we witness big film projects, dissatisfied casts, and a variety of characters—both real and imagined. Although the film’s crowded graphics and obvious excesses could make viewers think of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, the mauve-tinted widescreen epicness of the aesthetic is unmistakably Chazelle-like, no doubt helped by his frequent cinematographer Linus Sandgren.
Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench served as Chazelle’s directing debut, while Whiplash helped him earn wider notoriety. The critically acclaimed and financially successful La La Land served as a follow-up, and his most recent film, the unorthodox and underappreciated Neil Armstrong biography First Man, was directed by him. The first two episodes of Netflix’s The Eddy were also directed by Chazelle.
In what has been a remarkable year for the studio, Babylon is their top Oscar candidate. Along with distributing Top Gun: Maverick, the largest movie of 2022, Paramount also distributed successful movies including Scream, Jackass Forever, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, The Lost City, and Smile this year.
The cast of Babylon also includes Olivia Wilde, Jean Smart, Li Jun Li, Jovan Adepo, P.J. Byrne, Lukas Haas, Max Minghella, Rory Scovel, Katherine Waterston, Flea, Jeff Garlin, Eric Roberts, and Samara Weaving. On December 23, the movie will be released in cinemas.
