First look images at Guillermo del Toro's upcoming film Nightmare Alley show off the director's twisted take on the classic noir film. Nightmare Alley will star Bradley Cooper, Willem Dafoe, Cate Blanchett, and Rooney Mara and is slated for release this December from Searchlight Pictures. The film is a remake of the 1947 film of the same name, itself based on a novel by author William Lindsay Gresham. Filming on Nightmare Alley began in January 2020 before facing a delay due to the pandemic, with production eventually resuming that September.
Cooper will star as Stanton "Stan" Carlisle, an ambitious carny and conman who becomes entangled with Blanchett's Dr. Lillith Ritter, a psychologist with her own twisted agenda. Pictures from the set of Nightmare Alley have shown del Toro's period-accurate take on the film, including Cooper, Mara, and Blanchett in costume as their respective characters. Still, the film remains shrouded in mystery. In addition to the foursome, Nightmare Alley also stars Toni Collette, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, and Mary Steenburgen.
Now, VF has first look images from the upcoming film teasing the expansive cast of characters and the twisted plot they will be wrapped up in. One image shows Mara's Molly Cahill sitting in Stan's lap while another shows Blanchett, Mara, and Cooper together in what looks to be a smoky bar. Cooper can also be seen investigating carnival grounds, walking through an eerie spiral tunnel surrounded by colorful eyes. Dafoe can also be seen in one image alongside Cooper's character. Check out the images below:
del Toro has assembled a truly stellar cast for Nightmare Alley, one that will be able to fully pull off the noir atmosphere he's clearly building with the film. Blanchett, Mara, and Collette are at the top of their games, consistently turning out fantastic performances in every movie they're in. Cooper has also proven himself a more versatile actor in recent years with roles in A Star Is Born and American Hustle.
With Disney recently announcing a December release date for Nightmare Alley, it's clear they're pretty confident in the director's latest film, too. del Toro's last film, The Shape of Water, went on to win Best Picture at the 2018 Academy Awards and, with the Academy welcoming more genre fare, it's entirely possible Nightmare Alley could walk away with a few trophies. Blanchett, Mara, and Cooper are all former nominees and Collette has long deserved her own trophy for Best Actress. With the release of the film a few months away, a trailer could also be coming soon.
Source: Vanity Fair