After winning a Golden Globe for her work on Dying for Sex, Michelle Williams is in talks to star in the upcoming film by Damien Chazelle. Williams is a highly respected actress with five previous Academy Award nominations for her roles in films like Brokeback Mountain, Blue Valentine, My Week with Marilyn, Manchester by the Sea, and The Fabelmans. This new project could earn her a sixth Oscar nomination – and perhaps even a win – as Chazelle is an Academy Award-winning director.
Michelle Williams is joining the cast of Damien Chazelle’s next movie, according to Deadline. She’ll be working alongside Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig, both Academy Award winners. While details are scarce, the film is expected to be set in a prison. Production is slated to begin later in 2026. Chazelle is directing, writing, and producing the film, with Olivia Hamilton also serving as a producer.
Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning Touch
Lionsgate
Damien Chazelle first gained recognition with his 2014 film, Whiplash, which received an Academy Award nomination. He then achieved major success with 2016’s La La Land, a popular and critically acclaimed movie that earned him the Best Director Oscar at just 32 years old – making him the youngest ever to win in that category. While his next film, First Man, starring Ryan Gosling, received positive reviews, it didn’t perform well at the box office. His most recent film, Babylon, was initially expected to be an awards contender, but its long length and mixed reviews resulted in another box office failure.
It’s been four years since Damien Chazelle last directed a movie. He initially planned to make a biopic about Evel Knievel, with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role for Paramount, but that project is now on hold and DiCaprio’s involvement is uncertain. Chazelle is now focusing on a prison drama instead. As 2026 will be the tenth anniversary of his hit film La La Land, his next movie is expected to be a significant one.
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Damien Chazelle’s previous films, Whiplash and La La Land, were both Oscar successes, so his new movie is already generating awards buzz. He’s previously directed two actors – J.K. Simmons and Emma Stone – to Oscar wins. Now, with Michelle Williams having received five prior nominations, many believe this upcoming prison drama could finally win her an Academy Award.
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2026-01-14 14:02