Beau Is Afraid

Beau Is Afraid is a 2023 American surrealist black comedy horror film[3] written, directed, and co-produced by Ari Aster. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character, an anxiety-ridden man who embarks on a surreal odyssey home after his mother's sudden death, confronting his greatest fears along the way. The film also includes a supporting ensemble cast that includes Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan, Kylie Rogers, Parker Posey, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Hayley Squires, Michael Gandolfini, Zoe Lister-Jones, and Richard Kind.

Beau Is Afraid
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAri Aster
Written byAri Aster
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPawel Pogorzelski
Edited byLucian Johnston
Music byBobby Krlic
Production
companies
Distributed byA24
Release dates
Running time
179 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$35 million[2]

Beau Is Afraid was co-produced and will be distributed by A24 on April 21, 2023.

Premise

Described as a "decades-spanning surrealist horror film set in an alternate present", Joaquin Phoenix plays Beau, an "extremely anxious but pleasant-looking man who has a fraught relationship with his overbearing mother and never knew his father. When his mother dies, he makes a journey home that involves some wild supernatural threats".[4]

Cast

Production

The film had been in development by Ari Aster for some time, with a 2011 short film entitled Beau, that would later serve as the basis for a sequence in the feature film, and a 2014 draft of the script that circulated on the internet.[6] Aster has described the film in many ways, including initially as a "nightmare comedy,"[7], "a Jewish Lord of the Rings, but he’s [Beau] just going to his mom’s house," and as "if you pumped a 10-year-old full of Zoloft, and [had] him get your groceries."[8]

In February 2021, A24 announced the film, then titled Disappointment Blvd., with Joaquin Phoenix on board to star in the leading role.[9] The film's ensemble cast was announced in June and July.[10][11] Co-star Stephen McKinley Henderson described Aster and Phoenix as "so simpatico ... their way of working together was like they were really old friends. They could get upset and make up in the span of seconds, it seemed. But the work was always the better for it."[12]

Principal photography began on June 28, 2021, and concluded that October.[13][14] The film was shot in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, an off-island suburb of Montreal in Quebec, with cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski and production designer Fiona Crombie.[15][14] With a budget of $35 million, Beau Is Afraid is A24's most expensive film.[16]

Release

Beau Is Afraid is set to be released theatrically in the United States by A24 on April 21, 2023,[17] following a delay from its original 2022 schedule.[4] The film had its premiere with a Q&A moderated by Emma Stone at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Brooklyn, New York as part of an April Fools' Day event, as the audience attending was originally scheduled to watch a director's cut of Aster's 2019 film, Midsommar.[18] It is scheduled to be released a week earlier on April 14 in select IMAX theaters in Los Angeles and New York, before being released in select North American IMAX theaters on April 21.[19]

References
  1. "Press Notes" (PDF). A24. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  2. "Ari Aster on His 'Sick in the Head' 'Beau Is Afraid,' and the Time Joaquin Phoenix Fainted on Set". IndieWire. April 2, 2023. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  3. Rothkopf, Joshua (March 28, 2023). "Ari Aster Has Something Funny to Show You. Don't Be Scared". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  4. Shanfeld, Ethan; Moreau, Jordan; Murphy, J. Kim; Shafer, Ellise; Khatchatourian, Maane; Earl, William; Saperstein, Pat (January 6, 2022). "The Most-Anticipated Movies Coming in 2022: Disappointment Blvd.". Variety. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  5. "Beau Is Afraid Production Notes" (PDF). A24. March 30, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  6. Raup, Jordan (December 13, 2022). "First Poster for Ari Aster's Beau Is Afraid Starring Joaquin Phoenix". The Film Stage. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  7. Linan, Liliana (June 1, 2020). "A.S. Program Board Presents: Ask Ari Aster". Daily Nexus. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  8. "Beau is Afraid is 'Like a Jewish Lord of the Rings' Director Says in Behind the Scenes Video". March 30, 2023. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  9. Kroll, Justin (February 18, 2021). "A24 To Produce And Finance Ari Aster's Next Pic Disappointment Blvd. Starring Joaquin Phoenix". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  10. Kroll, Justin (June 21, 2021). "Disappointment Blvd.: Ari Aster Sets All-Star Ensemble To Join Joaquin Phoenix In A24 Film; Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan And Kylie Rogers Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  11. Kroll, Justin (July 21, 2021). "Parker Posey, Stephen McKinley Henderson & Zoe Lister-Jones Among Those Rounding Out Cast Of A24 And Ari Aster's Disappointment Blvd.". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  12. Davids, Brian (October 22, 2021). "Dune Star Stephen McKinley Henderson on Playing a Human Computer and That Parasol". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  13. Fisher, Jacob (November 20, 2020). "Joaquin Phoenix In Talks To Star In Ari Aster's Beau Is Afraid (Exclusive)". DiscussingFilm. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  14. Marc, Christopher (June 20, 2021). "Ari Aster's Disappointment Blvd Starring Joaquin Phoenix Adds The Favourite & Cruella Production Designer Fiona Crombie". The Ronin. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  15. Bourque, Olivier (July 21, 2021). "Vers une année record pour les tournages étrangers au Québec" [Towards a record year for foreign filming in Quebec]. Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  16. "Ari Aster on His 'Sick in the Head' 'Beau Is Afraid,' and the Time Joaquin Phoenix Fainted on Set". IndieWire. April 2, 2023. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  17. Grobar, Matt (January 10, 2023). "'Beau Is Afraid' Trailer, Release Date: Joaquin Phoenix Journeys Through Surreal Mixed-Media Landscape In Ari Aster's Third Feature For A24". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  18. "Ari Aster pranks Midsommar audience by showing them his brand new movie, instead". www.avclub.com. April 1, 2023. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  19. A24 [@A24] (March 30, 2023). "Experience it on the biggest screen possible: #BeauIsAfraid is now Beau in @IMAX. Tickets on sale for NY & LA, now opening one week early on April 14. In theaters everywhere April 21" (Tweet). Retrieved March 30, 2023 – via Twitter.
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