After The Brutalist, Brady Corbet Sets His Sights On American Mysticism And The Occult Underbelly Of US History

Brady Corbet, the guy behind The Brutalist (which you might remember as that three-and-a-half-hour epic your artsy friend wouldn’t shut up about), is gearing up for his next big project. If you were wondering what’s coming after all those heavy themes and award-show attention, well, brace yourself: the next Corbet film apparently dives into the wild terrain of 'American mysticism' and the history of the occult in the U.S. And yes, it sounds every bit as niche as that implies.

Something Witchy This Way Comes

Corbet showed up at Dublin’s Storyhouse Screenwriting Festival and basically spilled the beans about what he’s working on next. Here’s the gist: he’s obsessed right now with all things mystical, occult, and uniquely American in flavor. He told the crowd he’s 'been reading tons and tons of material about the migration of the cultist belief systems and structures.' (If you’re picturing a director going full notebook-conspiracy-wall, you’re probably not far off.)

And he’s doing his homework, too. Corbet said he’s collaborating with Mitch Horowitz, who’s apparently an expert on the American occult—presumably the kind of consultant who can tell you if your pentagram is upside down.

Ambition Level: Maxed Out

If you thought The Brutalist was overkill with its 165-page script and marathon runtime, Corbet is, by his own admission, cranking it up another notch. He says his current script clocks in at 200 pages. For context, most Hollywood scripts run about 90 to 120 pages, one page supposedly equaling about a minute of screen time. So, if he keeps with tradition, we’re looking at something bordering on four hours.

How (Not) to Lose Your Crew in 10 Days

Corbet talked a bit about his 'seat-of-the-pants' approach to directing on tight schedules. Here’s how hectic things have been so far:

• Vox Lux: 22 days of shooting
• The Childhood of a Leader: 24 days
• The Brutalist: 33 days (that’s still barely over a month, by the way)

With those limited shooting days, Corbet said he couldn’t really let actors run wild with improvisation—wish he could, but there’s just no time. Instead, he tries to get all the creative input out on the table before cameras roll, telling his cast, 'If you have any ideas, tell me now,' because once the machine starts, it’s full speed ahead.

For the record, he swears he’s not a tyrant, just extremely focused. 'You have to be. And frankly, they don’t want to work with someone who wouldn’t be.' Hard to argue with that logic.

A24 Gets Generous (Sort Of)

Here’s what’s really different this time: A24 is backing the new movie, and they’re giving Corbet 50 days to shoot, which in indie film world is like being handed the keys to a spa. As he describes it, 'It’s basically two, 25-day shoots for 100 pages.' He sounds cautiously optimistic, wrapping up with, 'So, I don’t know. I’ll report back in a few months.'

If You Missed The Brutalist...

It definitely made waves. Our editor-in-chief, Chris Bumbray, is a big fan. In his words:

'Corbet, who wrote the movie with his partner Mona Fastvold (an accomplished filmmaker in her own right), does an excellent job crafting an allegorical tale that can be applied to anyone who’s ever struggled to overcome personal trauma by creating meaningful work. Technically, this is impeccable, with cinematography by Lol Crawley that makes the most of the 70mm format and the locations filmed in Budapest, Italy and more. Truly, this is a sprawling work.'

Get ready—if Corbet’s next movie is anything like his last, you’ll want to clear your evening (and maybe brush up on your occult history).