Brady Corbet Assembles Cate Blanchett, Selena Gomez, and Michael Fassbender for X-Rated Epic

Cate Blanchett, who never seems to take a break from making headlines, casually dropped some big news at Cannes this week: she’s the latest addition to Brady Corbet’s next — and apparently X-rated — movie. Let’s be real, with Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, and Selena Gomez all on board, this is shaping up to be one of those Hollywood projects that gets talked about for years whether it’s brilliant, a bomb, or just plain weird.

The Mysterious New Project

So, what do we actually know? Blanchett let slip during a Cannes masterclass that she’s 'about to work with Brady Corbet on a film.' No formal press release, no cryptic trailer — just a casually dropped bombshell. The project is rumored to be called The Origin of the World.

Corbet, if you haven’t kept up, has gone on record saying he’s aiming for a legit X-rated film, which is both retro and gutsy. He told The Hollywood Reporter the film stretches from the 1800s all the way up to today, but mainly hangs out in the 1970s. His words: 'the film is really, really genre-defying.' (Translation: literally no idea what to expect.)

Just to dial up the film-nerd factor, he’s planning to shoot the whole thing on rare eight-perf 65mm cameras. Not digital. Not regular film. This is the kind of stuff that makes cinematographers drool and studio accountants break out in hives. Andrew Morrison is producing through his Kaplan Morrison outfit.

Who’s Who in the Cast

• Cate Blanchett — the newest sign-on and apparently not slowing down for anyone.
• Michael Fassbender — already attached, which is not surprising for this kind of offbeat project.
• Selena Gomez — Yep, mixing pop stardom with avant-garde cinema. It wouldn’t be a 2020s casting announcement without a wild combo like this.

Quick Recap: Who’s Doing What Else?

Blanchett is in the post-production pipeline on three movies right now: How to Train Your Dragon 2 (yes, a sequel in 2024), Sweetsick (about a woman cursed/gifted with being able to see exactly what other people need — that can’t possibly be healthy), and Alpha Gang, which involves aliens disguised as 1950s biker gang members. Not making that up. Alpha Gang also rounds up a cast that includes Adria Arjona, Dave Bautista, Riley Keough, Chris Pine, Lea Seydoux, and Lily Rose-Depp.

Gomez isn’t just sitting around either. She’s prepping a Linda Ronstadt biopic with David O. Russell directing, which sounds either brilliant or chaos, depending on the day of the week. She’ll be playing Ronstadt, covering her journey from country prodigy to Latin music superstar.

Corbet’s Hot Streak

If you’re wondering where all this hype around Corbet is coming from, thank his last movie. The Brutalist — his 2024 psychological drama — just swept the Oscars with three wins: Best Actor for Adrien Brody, Best Cinematography for Lol Crawley, and Best Original Score by Daniel Blumberg. Not too shabby, considering it also raked in ten nominations that year.

So, What’s Actually Happening in This New Movie?

Here’s the kicker: We still don’t know. No official plot. No random synopsis. Just hints about spanning centuries, loving the ‘70s, experimenting with rare cameras, and aiming for a rating that hasn’t exactly been mainstream since the Nixon administration. Could be art-house, could be wild exploitation, could just be a future bar-trivia answer.

'The film spans from the 19th century into the present day — it’s just predominantly focused on the ’70s. The film is really, really genre-defying.' — Brady Corbet

Got your own theories? Drop your guesses below. Frankly, with this combo of cast and director, your guess is as good as mine.