With the 95th Academy Awards wrapped, it's time to look to the future. We already talked about what's next for last season's most honored directors so let's turn to our favourite subject: Actresses. What's in store for the recently nominated? Read on...
ANGELA BASSETT
One of Hollywood's most regal actresses continues to lean into that vibe playing a character named Lady Bayford in a fantasy adventure named Damsel about a girl (Millie Bobby Brown) who is intended to be a sacrifice to a dragon. Bassett is also doing voicework for the next Laika stop-motion adventure which is called Wildwood. No more Marvel movies though given her fate in Wakanda.
CATE BLANCHETT
She has three projects in post-production. One is the Alfonso Cuaron miniseries Disclaimer about a documentary journalist (co-starring Lesley Manville and Sacha Baron Cohen). The others are two movies: a videogame adaptation Borderlands (with Jamie Lee Curtis!) and the Australian drama The New Boy (From Samson & Delilah director Warwick Thornton) about an aboroginal orphan and a nun. She was also attached to Pedro Almodóvar's first english-language feature A Manual for Cleaning Women but we haven't heard a peep about that in quite a while so who knows if it's still on...
Hong Chau in "The Night Agent"
HONG CHAU
2023 could be a big year for this great actor whose well-earned stardom has finally arrived. She has three films already shot: Kelly Reichardt's Showing Up with Michelle Williams and Judd Hirsch, Wes Anderson's next ensemble comedy Asteroid City, and Yorgot Lanthimos' SEO-nightmare titled "AND" with Emma Stone and William Dafoe. There might be a fourth: Doug Liman's next picture The Instigators is in pre-production at the moment. But before any of these you can see her in the new Netflix series The Night Agent which just dropped.
KERRY CONDON
The Banshees of Inisherin star is sticking to remote Irish villages for the moment. Her next feature, already shot, is a thriller called In the Land of Saints and Sinners. Liam Neeson and Ciarin Hinds lead the picture. She also currently filming (or just wrapped?) a horror picture called Night Swim with Wyatt Russell about a woman terrorized by an evil spirit.
A promo image for "Borderlands" (that's Jamie Lee & Cate in the center)
JAMIE LEE CURTIS
The freshly Oscar-ed Hollywood royal has two films in the can, the video game adaptation Borderlands (she's playing "Tannis" which might mean something to those of you who've played the game), and the Disney comedy Haunted Mansion (she plays "Madame Leota"). She'll also appear in a new sitcom starring Margo Martindale called Sticky about a Canadian maple syrup farmer which just started filming. Apart from those she might direct (!) a horror film called Mother Nature.
ANA DE ARMAS
You will soon see the Blonde star in the romantic comedy adventure Ghosted (with Chris Evans) and after that she'll lead the action film Ballerina, a spin-off from John Wick, about a female assassin. Her character previously appeared in John Wick Chapter Three but was played by an actual ballerina, Unity Phelan.
STEPHANIE HSU
Last year's big breakthrough player will be hopefully be in movie theaters twice this year. First up is the raucous Asian-American comedy Joy Ride (Ashley Park leads the central quartet there). Definitely have a look at the trailer if you haven't seen it yet (embedded above). The other completed picture is Randall Park's Sundance premiering dramedy Shortcoming which Sony Pictures Classics bought. Her role is presumably smaller there since it's about a trio of friends played by Justin H Min, Sherry Cola, and Ally Maki. She also has a recurring role in the Disney+ summer series American Born Chinese (along with her entire onscreen family from Everything Everywhere All At Once though they're not related this time). That's an action comedy about a teenage boy who becomes involved with a battle of Chinese gods.
And that's not all. Let's just say she's busy. She's also completed voicework on a Netflix animated film called Leo about a 74 year old lizard, and wrapped the action film The Fall Guy (which stars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt).
Andrea Riseborough in "What Remains"
ANDREA RISEBOROUGH
She's filmed three movies since To Leslie. The first is What Remains, a drama set in a psychiatric hospital that stars Stellan Skarsgård and his son Gustaf (it's a real family affair for the Skarsgårds since Stellan's wife, Megan, co-wrote the picture). The second is the Kate Winslet led biopic Lee, which is about a model turned war photographer. Finally there's an indie called Funny Birds about three generations of women on a chicken farm in New Jersey. More recently she's been filming an HBO series The Palace, which stars Kate Winslet (two projects in one year with Kate? They must have got on well!).
MICHELLE WILLIAMS
Not much on tap at the moment for this Oscar darling (maybe she's taking a short break?). The Kelly Reichardt drama Showing Up has been in the can for awhile (and finally coming out). No other projects are sure things at this writing... the fate of that Todd Haynes directed Peggy Lee biopic Fever is uncertain.
A promo image from the new live-action adaptation of "The Legend of Nezha"
MICHELLE YEOH
If you really stop to think about it the year-long promotion / campaign for Everything Everywhere All At Once was quite an achievement in and of itself given that Yeoh is always working. Next up are two series regular roles in Disney+ American Born Chinese and Netflix's The Brothers Sun, about a Taipei gangster in LA. She's also doing voicework on Transformers Rise of the Beasts , the animated film The Tiger's Apprentice, and the animated series ARK. All that and she has a key supporting role in a new Chinese movie about the legend of Nezha. The character Nezha has been portrayed dozens of times in film, tv, and videogames but it's been especially crazy of late with three animated films in the past decade alone.
And that's not all! We'll also eventually see her (or look at some computer generated version of her) in the next three Avatar sequels, and hear her singing the role of Madame Morrible in the movie adaptation of Broadway's Wicked.
BONUS. NOT NOMINATED BUT "IN THE CONVERSATION"
Since only 10 actresses can be Oscar nominated each year, we wanted to look at what's next for the two most tragically snubbed actresses this past season: Till's Danielle Deadwyler and Triangle of Sadness' Dolly De Leon, both of whom medalled in my own awards right here.
DANIELLE DEADWYLER
In the past two years she's proven herself quite a chameleon -- just try and connect the dots between her characters in The Harder They Fall and Till, we dare you! She currently has at least three movies in post-production: the sci-fi drama Parallel with Aldis Hodge, the action thriller Carry On with Taron Egerton, and a horror picture I Saw the TV Glow with a fun cast that includes Justice Smith, Amber Benson, Conner O'Malley, and Brigette Lundy-Paine. Though it hasn't started filming yet the highest profile project on the way is surely the next film from Adam McKay (Don't Look Up) which is a comedy called Average Height, Average Build and centers on a serial killer and a lobbyist. Since it's a McKay picture you know the cast will be filled with major names and so far he's roped in Amy Adams, Robert Downey Jr, Robert Pattinson, and Forest Whitaker.
DOLLY DE LEON
We're crossing our fingers for future opportunities for our Triangle of Sadness's sensational movie-stealer. Her latest Filipino project Nothing Like Paris just dropped on Amazon Prime. Meanwhile filming recently began on Grand Death Lotto, a Paul Feig comedy about a murderous lottery contest. The starry ensemble also includes Awkafina, John Cena, Simu Liu, and Seann William Scott. When we talked to her a handful of months back she was still waiting for a follow-up project to truly excite her. Here's to hoping she soon finds it our we soon realize that she's already found it!
WHICH OF THESE PROJECTS ARE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT? ANY GUESSES AS TO WHAT HAPPENS WITH EACH OF THESE CAREERS?