Michelle Williams Boards Damien Chazelle’s Star-Studded Prison Drama
Michelle Williams, a five-time Oscar nominee, is set to join Damien Chazelle’s new prison drama, starring alongside Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig. Filming is scheduled to kick off in late 2026.
Fresh off her recent Golden Globe win for her performance in Dying for Sex, Michelle Williams is gearing up for her next big project. The acclaimed actress, who has earned five Academy Award nominations for standout roles in films like Brokeback Mountain, Blue Valentine, My Week with Marilyn, Manchester by the Sea, and The Fabelmans, is now set to join the cast of Damien Chazelle’s upcoming feature.
Deadline
has revealed that Williams will be part of Chazelle’s next film, which is shaping up to be a high-profile prison drama. She’ll be joining a cast that already includes Oscar winner Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig. While details about the storyline and even the film’s title are still under wraps, the setting is expected to be inside a prison. Production is slated to begin toward the end of 2026, with Chazelle not only directing but also penning the script. He’ll be producing the film alongside Olivia Hamilton.
Chazelle’s Track Record and Recent Projects
Damien Chazelle made a name for himself with his breakout second feature, Whiplash, which earned a Best Picture nomination at the 87th Academy Awards. He followed that up with the smash hit La La Land in 2016, which swept the box office and awards season, making Chazelle the youngest winner ever of the Best Director Oscar at just 32. Afterward, he teamed up with Ryan Gosling for First Man, a film that critics praised but that struggled at the box office. His next project, Babylon, was expected to be a major awards contender, but its lengthy runtime and mixed reviews led to disappointing ticket sales.
It ’s been four years since Chazelle last directed a feature. He originally planned to follow Babylon with an Evel Knievel biopic starring Leonardo DiCaprio for Paramount Pictures, but that project has been delayed, and it’s unclear if DiCaprio is still attached. Chazelle has since shifted his focus to this new prison drama, which will mark a decade since La La Land first hit theaters.
High Hopes for Awards Season
Given Chazelle’s history with the Oscars —he’s directed two actors to Academy Award wins, J.K. Simmons in Whiplash and Emma Stone in La La Land—his latest film is already generating awards buzz, even in these early stages. Williams, with five nominations under her belt, could be poised for another shot at the gold. The combination of her talent and Chazelle’s direction has many speculating that this could finally be the project that lands her an Oscar win.
With a powerhouse cast and a director known for delivering both critical and commercial hits, anticipation is building for what’s next from Chazelle. As production gears up for a late 2026 start, all eyes will be on this prison drama to see if it lives up to the high expectations set by its creative team.