Ari Aster’s ‘Midsommar’ Follow-Up ‘Disappointment Blvd’ Adds Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane and More

Writer/director Ari Aster is tackling another heartfelt romantic comedy for his third feature. Just kidding.

Aster has quickly become the arthouse king of horror with Hereditary and Midsommar, both of which utilized his visually unique storytelling methods circled around trauma and grief. He is now set to write and direct Disappointment Blvd starring Joaquin Phoenix, and Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan, and Kylie Rogers have now joined the talented yet perplexing line-up that has us wondering what the heck this movie will even be.

Deadline reports news of the all-star additions. A24 is back to finance and produce, but information on the film’s plot remains under lock and key.

Nathan Lane dipped his toe into horror with the short-lived Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, but I am curious about what role he will take under Aster’s direction because he’s naturally so charismatic, and Broadway royalty to boot. Patti Lupone is also a Broadway star with two Grammys and two Tony Awards under her belt. The addition of both Lane and Lupone makes me wonder if there will be musical numbers or singing involved in this project.

Amy Ryan is probably best known and loved for her comedic role in The Office as well as her Oscar-nominated work in Gone Baby Gone, so it would be a blast to see her lean into Aster’s particular brand of storytelling. She’s also great at feeding off of her costars’ energy, so her chemistry with this cast should prove engaging. 17-year-old Kylie Rogers is the least-known of the bunch, but she’s had a recurring role on Yellowstone and starred in The Whispers.

What Road to Take

For now, all we know is that Disappointment Blvd. is described as “an intimate, decades-spanning portrait of one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time.”  There have also been several theories as to what genre this film will be exactly.

For example, Aster has mentioned that his next film will be a “nightmare comedy” and “a surrealist horror film set in an alternate present.” It’s hard to tell, but it will be shocking if Aster will shy away from horror entirely or if there will be singing and musical numbers involved somehow. With these new actor additions, comedy elements also don’t seem like too far-fetched. And if you rewatch Hereditary, there are small bits of comedy sprinkled within the utterly disturbing scenes of food allergy attacks, beheadings, and invasions of naked cult members. Midsommar also blend genres, with Florence Pugh’s Dani battling her complex attraction towards the culture and traditions of the Hårga. With this cast assembled, the style and plot seem to be fair game, perhaps an amalgamation of genres.

I’m a big fan of Aster’s work, and I can’t wait to see what exactly is going on here. But with this talented crew, I don’t think it will be a disappointment.

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