Oscar-winning filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu is currently working on a new project, tentatively titled Limbo in Mexico City, as per the Los Angeles Times Español. The story of Limbo, which is written by the Mexican director, is reportedly focused on “the political and social modernity of Mexico” (LA Times). 

Limbo signifies a few things for Iñárritu, one being that it’s his first film shot entirely in Mexico since his directorial debut Amores Perros (2000). Second, it’s his first feature-length project since 2015’s The Revenant, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Directing. His most recent works include Air Moves You (2018), a 1-minute short for Nike, and a virtual reality art installation entitled Carne y Arena (Flesh and Sand) in 2017. The installation earned him a Special Academy Award.

A speculative buzz has surrounded Iñárritu’s presence in Mexico City since last year. Just before the pandemic hit, he and a film crew were seen scouting out locations and conducting performance tests around the city. This month, select crew members were spotted in what appeared to be 1990’s-period costumes with cardboard cutouts of Mexican politicians Carlos Salinas de Gortari and José López Portillo also on scene. The film’s storyline remains a mystery beyond its socio-political theme, but the involvement of Mexican actor Daniel Giménez Cacho (Zama, Y Tu Mama Tambien) and Oscar-winning production designer Eugenio Caballero (Pan’s Labyrinth, Roma) has been reported.

Something new for Iñárritu is the partnership with renowned cinematographer Darius Khondji (Se7en, Uncut Gems, The Lost City of Z) for Limbo. Iñárritu has historically collaborated with cinematographers Rodrigo Prieto (Biutiful (2010), Babel (2006)) and Emmanuel Lubezki on his films, the latter winning two Oscars for best cinematography for Iñárritu’s Birdman (2014) and The Revenant. The new partnership between these two high-caliber artists should make for an impressive final product on the big-screen.