Paweł Pawlikowski behind the camera, star couple Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara in the cast. “The Island” is the long-awaited new film from the director of the Oscar-winning “Ida”. However, as reported by Deadline, its implementation has just been suspended. The portal explained that insurance companies refuse to insure the production, fearing, among other things, the planned strike of the Screen Actors Guild of America on July 1.
According to Deadline, filming for “The Island” was due to begin this month in Spain, and the actors were already in place when word of the work stoppage came. “The threat of a strike by the Screen Actors Guild of America (SAG-AFTRA) – in addition to the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike and potential action by the Screen Actors Guild of America (DGA) – spooked the insurance companies … and the two actors had to go home The project has been put on hold until further notice. The actors and producers remain involved in it, but it is not yet known when they will be able to resume work, “we read.
The portal adds that the creators of “The Island” wanted to use the services of other insurance companies, but this also failed. “This could mean a serious problem for independent cinema as a whole. There is a real threat that, due to this uncertainty, very few independent productions will be able to launch on a large scale in the coming months,” points out Deadline.
Eden “hard to reach”
In October last year, Variety reported that Pawlikowski’s film would be loosely inspired by a true story. “The Island” is to tell the story of an American couple who, far from civilization, decide to create a paradise for themselves on a deserted island. “However, Eden proves difficult to achieve, especially when a European countess learns of their plans and arrives on the island with two lovers who plan to take over the site and build a luxury hotel there. According to the official description, this event will start a psychological war in which ‘ “seduction and jealousy” escalates into “betrayal and eventually murder.”
As recalled, Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara are privately a couple. “They recently starred together in ‘Maria Magdalena'” – added.
Phoenix won an Oscar for “Joker” and will reprise his role in “Joker: Folie a Deux.” His other notable credits include roles in “The Master”, “Gladiator” and Ridley Scott’s new film “Napoleon”, in which he will play the title character. Mara, on the other hand, has Oscar-nominated roles in “Carol” and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”.
Pawel PawlikowskiAdan Warżawa/PAP
“Master of Powerful Drama”
The portal added that “The Island” is the film’s working title. Pawlikowski is responsible for the screenplay. The producers of the picture are Tanya Seghatchian and John Woodward, the executive producer – Reno Antoniades, and the Polish co-producer – Ewa Puszczyńska. “Paweł is a master of powerful drama and is unrivaled in creating compelling, emotionally complex characters (…) In ‘The Island’ the struggle for power, love and death is compounded by Paweł’s cinematic style, which will incorporate the beauty of nature on desolate island,” Seghatchian said, quoted in the article.
“The Island” is to be Pawlikowski’s first film since “Cold War”, which in 2018 won him the award for best director at the Cannes Film Festival, and a year later – Oscar nominations in the categories of best director and foreign language film. The creator also has, among others, an Oscar for the best foreign language film for “Ida”.
Main photo source: Adan Warżawa/PAP