Brady Corbet Discusses Next Film on American Mysticism at Storyhouse Festival

Corbet described the new film as addressing American mysticism and the history of the occult in America. He stated that he has been researching the migration of cultist belief systems and structures.

Project Details

Corbet mentioned collaborating with Mitch Horowitz, described as an occultist historian of America.

The script for the new film is 200 pages long, compared to the 165-page script for The Brutalist, which ran 3 hours and 35 minutes. The upcoming film is scheduled for a 50-day shoot, which Corbet said consists of two 25-day shoots for 100 pages each. He noted previous shoots included 22 days for Vox Lux, 24 days for The Childhood of a Leader, and 33 days for The Brutalist.

Filmmaking Approach and Industry Views When

asked about script precision and improvisation, Corbet explained that short shooting schedules have limited opportunities for changes, but he remains open to ideas discussed in advance.

He stated that he aims to maintain focus during production without being overly rigid. The conversation, moderated by A24 executive Rose Garnett, covered Corbet's writing approach and views on the film industry. Corbet observed that filmmakers have become less daring over the past 15 to 20 years, attributing this to the 2008 financial crisis and consolidation in streaming.

He referenced films like The English Patient as examples of popular, poetic works from earlier eras. Corbet also praised Harry Lighton's debut feature Pillion as one of the great films of the previous year, noting its performances and reminder of past filmmaking styles.