A24 dropped the first poster – and title change – for Ari Aster’s “Beau Is Afraid,” previously named “Disappointment Blvd.” (the film was originally rumored to be called “Beau Is Afraid.”).
A child version of star Joaquin Phoenix graces the poster, wearing the same gray satin pajamas that the actor was spookily snapped wearing on set last July. The film is slated to premiere in 2023.
“Beau Is Afraid” marks the third collaboration between Aster and A24, after horror hits “Hereditary” (2018) and “Midsommar” (2019). Plot details are under wraps, though it has been described as “an intimate, decades-spanning portrait of one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time.”
In an interview with French paper Le Journal du Dimanche, Aster called collaborating with Phoenix “one of the best experiences of my life.”
“I am very proud of his performance and I love him with all my heart,” he added.
In addition to the “Joker” star, “Beau Is Afraid” features Aster’s largest and most star-studded cast to date, with the likes of Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan, Kylie Rogers, Parker Posey, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Michael Gandolfini, Denis Ménochet, Zoe Lister-Jones and Richard Kind. Aster and his Square Peg production partner Lars Knudsen will produce.
Phoenix will reprise his Oscar-winning role in “Joker: Folie à Deux” opposite Lady Gaga in 2024.
Aster’s “Hereditary” grossed $80 million worldwide, holding the record for A24’s top-performing film until it was usurped by “Everything Everywhere All At Once” earlier this year. Likewise, the Florence Pugh vehicle “Midsommar” cleaned up nicely with $47.9 million at the global box office. Both movies were hits with critics and fans alike, positioning “Beau Is Afraid” to be one of the most anticipated indie films of 2023.
