The cameras will start rolling on the drama in New York City this Fall.

Willem Dafoe as Dr. Godwin Baxter looking stern and angry in Poor Things

Two of the stars from the most talked-about 2023 movies are teaming up for a new project. Today, Variety announced that Willem Dafoe (Poor Things) and Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) are set to star in Late Flame, a movie that, according to its synopsis, is about the human relationship with ego and praise, as well as how our interpretation of our own past can change depending on how we handle it. The cameras start rolling in New York City this Fall and production company Killer Films is eyeing a Cannes Film Festival premiere.

Late Flame hails from the mind of Samy Burch, another name that was hot during the award season due to her impressive May-December screenplay. In the story, Dafoe will play Ed Saxberger, a poetry writer who sees one of his books earn a cult following years after it was published. One of his newfound fans is Gloria (Hüller) an eloquent theater actress who is known for playing with people’s feelings. From the looks of it, Late Flame may end up becoming a war between both characters in which romantic and unfriendly feelings are involved — a must-watch, in a nutshell.

Emmy nomineeKent Jones was tapped to direct Late Flame. The filmmaker is no stranger to telling stories about how a legacy of works of art can be debated. He directed the documentaryHitchcock/Truffaut, about two of the biggest directors in cinema history. Recently he made waves across film festivals with Diane, a movie about a woman who is forced to confront her own memories as she tries to reconnect with her son.

‘Late Flame’ Team Was a No-Brainer, Producers Say

Sandra Hüller and the dog Messi in Anatomy of a Fall
Image via Le Pacte

In an official statement, Killer Films’ duo of producers Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon celebrated Late Flame coming to life and revealed that their decision to team up with Burch and Jones was a no-brainer:

“Killer Films is honored to be re-teaming with Samy on her next screenplay. Her voice is original, her screenwriting is deeply thematic and she keeps you off balance in the most satisfying and surprising way. Out of the gate we talked about Kent Jones to direct. We both loved ‘Diane,’ and know he will execute the story with his observant, detailed naturalism shot through with humor and feeling.”

Dafoe has been on a winning streak for some years now. The actor managed to find a balance between blockbusters and indie films, starring in mega-hits like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Asteroid City and standing out in both universes. At the same time, he still finds ways of doing something different, like his character in Poor Things. Hüller, on the other hand, earned double recognition during the awards season due to her performance in Anatomy of a Fall and Jonathan Glazer‘s Zone of Interest. Watching the duo play opposite each other will certainly be a treat for film fans everywhere.

Further details of Late Flame are yet to be announced, including additional cast members and expected release window in theaters. In the meantime, Zone of Interest is available on Prime Video.