Daniel Craig and Cillian Murphy are reportedly eying starring roles in a new prison film from a major director. Craig is best known for playing James Bond across five films, starting his tenure with Casino Royale in 2006 and bidding farewell to the role in 2021 with No Time To Die. The actor has also starred in movies like Knives Out (2019) and its 2022 sequel. Murphy, on the other hand, recently starred in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023), following roles in movies like 28 Days Later (2002), The Dark Knight (2008), and Inception (2010).

Deadline now reports that Craig and Murphy are in talks to star in a new film from director Damien Chazelle. The film is currently untitled, but the report suggests that it will be set in a prison. Chazelle has already written the script and will produce with Olivia Hamilton through their Wild Chickens Production banner. The movie also already has distribution planned through Paramount. The report notes that both Craig and Murphy are enthusiastic about the project after a meeting with Chazelle, and that filming could begin later this year.

What This Means For Daniel Craig, Cillian Murphy & Damien Chazelle

The Trio's Recent Projects Explained

Murphy is coming into this new prison film having just taken home the Oscar for playing J. Robert Oppenheimer in Nolan's hit 2023 biopic. Oppenheimer was a monster success, not only winning seven Oscars, but also becoming a major box office win. Murphy's recent success and acclaim could give this new prison movie a boost. Craig hasn't recently experienced this same level of success, with Queer (2024) marking his most recent project. Despite positive reviews, the Luca Guadagnino film was shut out at the Oscars, but Craig's run as Bond means he's certainly still a high-profile star.

For Chazelle, who directed both La La Land (2016) and Whiplash (2014), this prison film will follow the disappointing reception to Babylon (2022), his star-studded exploration of early Hollywood. The untitled prison movie also follows reports of another Chazelle project that was seemingly taking shape in the form of an Evel Knievel biopic. Leonardo DiCaprio was reportedly in talks for the lead role in this film, but the Deadline report cited above claims that no deal with the star could be reached, thus pushing the prison movie to the forefront.

Our Take On Chazelle's Untitled Prison Movie

The Babylon Director Could Have A Comeback On His Hands

Even though Babylon was a disappointment, it showed a great deal of ambition, further cementing Chazelle as a singular voice in Hollywood. First Man (2018), the Chazelle film that preceded Babylon, also flew under the radar to a degree, making this new film an opportunity for a comeback. Chazelle is certainly deserving of a comeback given his past work, and the involvement of both Craig and Murphy is reason to be optimistic.

Babylon grossed only $65 million worldwide on an $80 million budget, while First Man grossed $105 million worldwide on a $59 million budget.

Post-Bond, the Knives Out franchise has become a major focus for Craig, and it's clear that he's enjoying playing detective Benoit Blanc. He's set to reprise the role in Rian Johnson's Wake Up Dead Man later this year, which is already shaping up to be a fun return for the franchise, but a Chazelle film could be just what Craig needs to fully break away from 007. It remains to be seen how this untitled prison film will come together, but the latest casting new certainly makes it a project to keep an eye on.

Source: Deadline

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  Daniel Craig

  Discover the latest news and filmography for Daniel Craig, known for Casino Royale and Knives Out.
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  Cillian Murphy

  Discover the latest news and filmography for Cillian Murphy, known for Peaky Blinders and Inception.