Alex Garland is back in the feature film lane, following his limited-time series Devs on FX. According to Deadline, he is uniting with a fellow FX alum in Jessie Buckley. Buckley recently starred in the latest season of Fargo and Netflix’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things. English actor Rory Kinnear is also joining in Garland’s latest film entitled Men, which is being produced by A24.
The film has been described to Deadline as a story about “a young woman who goes on a solo vacation to the English countryside after the death of her ex-husband.” Based on Garland’s other three writing and directing projects, there is a good chance technology or horror will play an important role in the film.
Garland’s first two feature films Ex Machina and Annihilation had realistic science fiction elements to them that pushed their respective protagonists forward. Both were beloved pretty universally, but, due to the subject matter and a last minute Netflix release for some foreign markets, they did not garner great box office return. Even tough Garland has only made interesting movies since breaking into the industry, there is room to improve at the box office (though ticket sales are not the only important marker of success).
Jessie Buckley, who has not finalized her deal, but is nearing one, is one of the brightest up and coming stars at the moment. Her 2020 roles in I’m Thinking of Ending Things and Fargo has propelled her into the public eye. A musician as well, this will only help her career moving forward.
Garland has worked with significant Hollywood stars right on the cusp of stardom. Some include Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Tessa Thompson. The director and his casting department have a great eye for performers.
Oscar Isaac has starred in his last two films, so it will be interesting to see if the duo will unite in any fashion for this upcoming project. This might be rather difficult as Isaac is in almost every single gigantic property, including his recent casting as both Moon Knight in a Marvel Disney + series and Solid Snake in Sony’s Metal Gear Solid adaptation.
Regardless, Garland has only gained trust from studios and the public alike with his last few writing and directorial outings.
There is no set release date for Men, nor other castings as of now, but it is certainly a film to keep an eye on.