Gregg Araki began shooting The Decline of F*cking Western Civilization on 16 September with Ashton Kutcher and Alison Brie — the plot is still under wraps
Gregg Araki has lined up Ashton Kutcher, Alison Brie and another star for his next wild comedy after I Want Your Sex — and the title’s a corker.
If you like a bit of cult comedy and a cast full of familiar faces, here’s something brewing in LA: The Decline of F*cking Western Civilization, a new feature from Gregg Araki. Yes, the title says it all — this one’s not subtle. Araki, for those keeping track, is the indie provocateur behind Kaboom, Mysterious Skin, The Living End, and more recently, I Want Your Sex. Now he’s back at it again with another offbeat project.
In terms of casting, it’s a stacked lineup. Ashton Kutcher, last spotted in the FX body-horror series The Beauty, leads the charge. He’s in with Alison Brie (recently producing and starring in the horror film Together and popping up in Masters of the Universe earlier this year). Rounding things out is Jesse Williams — he of Grey’s Anatomy and soon to appear in the final chapter of The Morning Show. Williams, by the way, also joined the Only Murders in the Building cast in its third outing, and you might remember him from The Cabin in the Woods if you’ve got a sharp memory for genre fare.
_-_agents_at_the_press_conference_podium_35634.webp)
Principal photography kicked off in Los Angeles on 16 September 2026.
What are they actually making?
Details on the plot are kept completely under wraps, which either means there’s a twist or literally nobody wants to spill in case it all changes in post. The few tidbits that have leaked compare the project’s vibe to a cross between Election and American Beauty — so expect pitch-black humour, tangled drama, and complicated personal messes. Classic Araki territory, really: everyday disasters as jet-black comedy. If there’s a sense you’ve seen a lot of this ensemble before, that’s no accident — it’s a deliberate collision of actors with solid genre pedigree.
Behind the camera
Directing duties are in Araki’s hands as mentioned, but the script actually comes from Kevin W. Koehler. On the production front, you’ve got Why Not Productions and Goodfellas steering the ship (make of that what you will). As for representation, it’s the usual line-up: Kutcher’s with CAA, Brie’s with WME and Rise, Williams with CAA and Entertainment 360, and so on for the industry-spotters keeping score at home.
- Ashton Kutcher (The Beauty, Two and a Half Men, That '70s Show, The Butterfly Effect)
- Alison Brie (Together, Masters of the Universe, producer credits)
- Jesse Williams (Grey’s Anatomy, Only Murders in the Building, Cabin in the Woods, The Morning Show)
- Director: Gregg Araki (Kaboom, I Want Your Sex, Mysterious Skin)
- Production: Why Not Productions, Goodfellas
- Writer: Kevin W. Koehler
- Filming start: 16 September 2026, Los Angeles