What's next for this season's Oscar nominated actresses?
Wednesday, March 30, 2022 at 11:49PM by Nathaniel R
Promotional image from The Good Nurse © Netflix
We already looked at what's next for 2021's most celebrated directors and actors so let's turn our attention to the actresses (our favourite topic on the regular). Whatever will they do for encores? Let's start with the winners...
JESSICA CHASTAIN
She works constantly so she's attached to about 10 projects currently as either actress or producer with her company Freckle Films. Next up though is the true story crime drama The Good Nurse, already in post-production, which is a true story about a woman who was implicated in the deaths of hundreds of patients and will hit Netflix at some point this year. The film is from the talented Danish writer/director Tobias Lindholm (A War, A Hijacking). After that we'll see her reunited with her Take Shelter co-star Michael Shannon for the country music bio miniseries George and Tammy which is currently filming. Once that wraps she'll be co-starring with Jake Gyllenhaal in a sci-fi thriller called The Division, also for Netflix.
From Ariana's Instagram
ARIANA DEBOSE
The Broadway baby triple threat, the first Afro-Latina queer actor to win an Oscar, already had a full dance card before her Oscar win (you'll remember that they actually shot West Side Story THREE years ago so the word was out about these actors awhile back in Hollywood). She has two films in post-production. Those are a Russians vs Americans sci-fi thriller called I.S.S. and Matthew Vaughn's (Layer Cake) spy adventure Argylle which stars Henry Cavill. Her third Post-Oscar movie will be the Spider-Man adjacent film Kraven the Hunter which is already filming. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven and Ariana plays Calypso, who in the comics at least, is a Haitian voodoo priestess who is an enemy to both Daredevil and Spider-Man. As you know Sony is trying to work up to a "Sinister Six" movie so they have to give all of Spider-Man's main bad guys (Kraven being one of them) their own movie first, so Kraven is third after Venom and Morbius. J.C. Chandor (All is Lost, A Most Violent Year) is directing and it's due in theaters in January 2023.
THE OTHER NOMINEES IN ALPHA ORDER
an image from the "Men" trailer
JESSIE BUCKLEY
She's the lead in A24's horror film Men (we already discussed the trailer) which arrives in theaters this May from director Alex Garland (Ex-Machina). She's also completed work on director Sarah Polley's next drama (yay) which is called Women Talking and involves a group of Mennonite women struggling with assault in their community. The film should be a feast for all of us actressexuals since the cast also includes... wait for it... Claire Foy, Frances McDormand, Judith Ivey, Sheila McCarthy, Rooney Mara, and honorary actress* Ben Whishaw. That's SO MUCH TALENT.
*Some male actors are as exciting to watch as actresses but there aren't very many of them.
OLIVIA COLMAN
Colman has been in demand for years now and we're all so blessed for it. She's completed work on three films: Puss in Boots 2 (due in September), Wonka starring Timothée Chalamet (due in December... 2023... that's a long post-production process!), and she's the lead of something called Joyride about a woman ready to give away her newborn (release date TBA). She's currently filming Sam Mendes next Oscar-hopeful Empire of Light, a love story involving a beautiful old cinema set in the 1980s. In other words, 2022/2023 are going to be big years for her, potentially huge if Empire of Light finishes in time for the next Oscar race.
PENELOPE CRUZ
She's already filmed a new Spanish-language drama, actor Juan Diego Botto's feature directorial debut On the Fringe which costars Goya darling Luis Tosar. She's also completed work on a new Italian film, Emanuele Crialese's L'Immensita about a woman and her children set in the 1970s Rome. But it's always hard to know if and when the international titles will play in the US. Her next English language movie is the biopic Enzo Ferrari which stars Adam Driver. Michael Mann is directing and they supposedly start shooting this summer so expect that in 2023. In the meantime she's hilarious in a very atypical role as a provocative auteur in the Spanish comedy Official Competition -- which is very niche since it's all about prestige cinema, the madness of awards and respect, and egomaniacal actors and auteurs, but that's our niche so we can't wait to see it again. The comedy played festivals last year and will come to US theaters sometime this year via IFC Films.
DAME JUDI DENCH
Despite her declining vision she's still constantly working at 87 years of age and we love that... for us. She doesn't need the money so she really must still love her job! She's already finished filming a collaboration with director Richard Eyre (Notes on a Scandal -- which was her best performance!) called Allelujah. It's an ensemble drama set in a geriatric ward threatened with closure. Jennifer Saunders, Russell Tovey, and Derek Jacobi co-star. It's based on the play of the same name by Alan Bennett which was well reviewed. If he sounds familiar that's because some of his plays have already been adapted to cinema including The Madness of King George, The Lady in the Van, and The History Boys.
KIRSTEN DUNST
She has young children and when that's the case we always fear we'll lose her to home life. But thankfully that hasn't happened yet. She's currently filming A24's Civil War from director Alex Garland (who sure keeps busy... see also Jessie Buckley's next movie) about which little is known though it's said to be set in an "action epic" set in near-future America. Karl Glusman, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Wagner Moura are also in the cast. Given that Garland already has Men this year and A24 is sometimes slow to release things we are not expecting this one until 2023.
Aunjanue stars in the short film "Fannie" which you can watch on YouTube
AUNJANUE ELLIS
The reliable character actress has been having a great few years with an Oscar nom and recent Emmy nominations, too. We hope Hollywood stays interested so she can actually win something. She has the lead role in a current short film called Fannie about civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer (click the image above to watch), and she's also a regular in an upcoming TV series called 61st Street about a high school athlete mixed up with Chicago's corrupt justice system. Her next feature film is a Netflix horror film called Demon House about a family in Indiana who believe their home is a portal to hell. Lee Daniels directs and the cast is all-star sensational (as his casts usually are) with Ellis alongside Glenn Close, Rob Morgan, Octavia Spencer, and Andra Day.
Nicole Kidman in "The Nortthman". © Focus Features
NICOLE KIDMAN
The 54 year old goddess never stops working and though we love her more than we can possibly express we worry that she maybe should take six months off or something between all the miniseries and feature films. Relax for a hot minute, Nicole! Like all A-listers she has multiple projects in very very early stages of development that might never happen in addition to two films she's already shot, the Viking drama The Northman (due in theaters on April 22nd) and the superhero film Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom (due May 2023). She's currently filming the Amazon TV series Expats from Lulu Wang (The Farewell) which is about a group of expats living in Hong Kong. No feature films lined up after Aquaman yet though but that should change soon if her past is any indication.
KRISTEN STEWART
We're very excited about her follow up to Spencer which finally has David Cronenberg back behind the camera. It's already completed, actually. It's a sci-fi body horror (natch) called Crimes of the Future. Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux co-star. She's also attached to an untitled William S Burroughs biopic which is supposed to star Ben Foster (who will also direct) though that one has no reported start date. One assumes her team at WMI is fielding offers given that she's hot hot hot right now and there's almost nothing on the docket to follow up that first Oscar nomination.
Which of these projects are you most excited about?
Reader Comments (21)
Definitely looking forward to all of these ladies and what they do next. I'm also hoping for the next Kirsten Dunst-Sofia Coppola collaboration.
Definitely looking forward to all of these ladies and what they do next. I'm also hoping for the next Kirsten Dunst-Sofia Coppola collaboration.
Crialese's film with Cruz is not in Spanish it's in Italian. Cruz speaks fluent Italian. She has made some movies in Italy.
The good thing about the Chastain win is that she might stop doing shitty movies just to get an Oscar.
This is a great line-up of projects by all of these ladies. The Northman is one of my most anticipated of 2022. I'm also really enthused to see Dench reteam with Richard Eyre and Cruz work with Michael Mann.
Peggy -- be careful what you wish for. Most of her terrible movies have NOT been the ones that were courting the Oscar but disposable action films and thrillers.
Cal -- whoops. shall fix.
Nicole is one of the actresses from "Roar", an anthology series from Apple Plus. The trailer is out and looks really interesting.
Now that the footage of Liv Ullmann participating in the attempted presentation of Marlon Brando's Oscar to Sacheen Littlefeather is trending again (due to John Wayne being restrained by security then), it reminded me that Chastain and Ullmann really should work together again if possible. Especially after Chastain's version of Scenes from a Marriage brought some renewed interest in the original and now that both Chastain and Ullmann have Oscars, it'd be nice if Chastain could use her increasing clout to reunite with her Miss Julie director, if it's not already in the works.
I always thought Ariana DeBose would return to Broadway and chase that triple crown (quadruple crown if there is a cast soundtrack Grammy nomination) As much as that Oscar means to her, I think a Tony would be more important. She started out on Broadway and I'm sure they would welcome her back.
Out of all the newbie nominated actors this year, I think Jesse Buckley has the best shot of getting another- maybe even multiple. However, if Ellis is having a moment similar to what Smart and Coolidge are having, now is her golden moment.
Are we doing the who's coming back next year thing? because I have THOUGHTS
What I don't want though I love her is for Olivia Colman to become to over exposed and rack up too many credits and nominations too quickly as that can sour people on you,I don't think it will happen though for a time it happened with Chastain were she was put into films due to being someone of the moment.
Whatever any of them do i'm sure we'll all be eager to see them in action.
Aunjanue Ellis is sensational in Fannie. The nine minute short is a segment of the bio pic script Ellis has written on the life of Fannie Lou Hamer. Fingers crossed an Oscar nomination and this marvelous effort will generate the funding for Ellis and director Christine Swanson to complete the entire film. If so, Ellis will be hard to beat. She is that good in Fannie.
Don't worry, Ripley. Bafta TV noms are out and they just snubbed again her for Landscapers.
These ladies are BUSY. Very pleased with Chastain's win, though it's weird she's doing another biopic so soon.
@Peggy Sue - maybe BAFTA is spreading the love; Colman's performance was certainly award-worthy, though Jodie Comer in Help, especially for THAT 12-20 minute sequence, should win a million BAFTAs.
Re Dench's next job, Allelujah - written by Alan Bennett AND Heidi Thomas (of Call the Midwife fame, among other works), sounds very interesting. Can't go wrong with Eyre, Dench, and Jacobi.
I think I'm either fond of or a big fan of all the actresses, so I will wish them all good luck. And thanks Nathaniel for your thought about Notes On A Scandal. I thought it was a fabulous movie and Dench in particular was so good. It got a couple of nominations but somehow was lost in the shuffle that year. I read the book and it was equally good.
Interested in seeing George and Tammy. Hopefully, this is solid in the Walk The Line mold. I Really want to experience the entire Tammy Wynette/George Jones saga and great tunes.
Wonka is actually set for December 2023 so it's very far away!
I don't think we have to worry yet about Olivia Colman being too overexposed. It has helped that all her nominations so far have been for undeniable work (and she seems well-respected). If she gets nominated for 2-3 roles that feel "default-y" then we can start THAT conversation. I would love it if she won again in the next few years -- ideally for a comedic role!
Ryan T.--I love her but I am so glad she did not win for The Lost Daughter. A great performance but a terrible film. You're right about the defaulty feeling--that really breeds resentment.
Hasn't she already won for a comedic role?
Per the initial announcement, that Enzo Ferrari movie is set to start filming in May/June. Mann was spotted scouting locations within the past month or so.
Kate -- good to know. thanks