Damien Chazelle, the acclaimed director of La La Land and Whiplash, has admitted that he expects his future projects to face more difficulties in securing funding after his latest film, Babylon, failed to impress audiences and critics.
Babylon, a period drama set in Hollywood’s golden age, was one of the most anticipated films of 2024, with a star-studded cast that included Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tobey Maguire, and Emma Stone. The film had a budget of $100 million and was expected to be a major contender for the Oscars.
However, the film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its production design and cinematography but criticized its uneven script, lack of emotional depth, and historical inaccuracies. The film also performed poorly at the box office, earning only $25 million in its opening weekend and $60 million worldwide so far.
In an interview with Variety, Chazelle said that he was disappointed by the reception of Babylon, but he did not regret making the film. He said that he wanted to explore the contrast between the glamour and the darkness of Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s and to pay homage to some of his favorite filmmakers of that era.
However, he also acknowledged that Babylon was a risky project that did not appeal to mainstream audiences, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had affected the movie industry and people’s preferences. He said that he expected his future films to have lower budgets and less creative freedom, as studios would be more cautious about investing in original and ambitious projects.
“I think it’s inevitable that there will be some consequences for me and for other filmmakers who want to do something different and challenging,” Chazelle said. “I don’t blame anyone for that. It’s just the reality of the business. I hope that there will still be room for artistic expression and innovation in cinema, but I also understand that it’s a very competitive and uncertain market.”
Chazelle added that he was grateful for the opportunity to make Babylon and that he was proud of the work that he and his collaborators had done. He said that he hoped that the film would find its audience over time and that he was looking forward to his next project, which he did not reveal any details about.
“I’m not going to give up on my passion and vision,” Chazelle said. “I love making movies, and I have many stories that I want to tell. I just have to be more realistic and flexible about how I tell them.”