Babylon Trivia | 37 facts about the movie

«Babylon» is an upcoming American epic period comedy-drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle.

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1. Babylon is an upcoming American epic period comedy-drama film.
2. Babylon was written and directed by Damien Chazelle.
3. It is set in the 1920s, during Hollywood’s transition from silent films to “talkies” (sound films).
4. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Olivia Wilde and Jean Smart.
5. Babylon is scheduled for a limited theatrical release on December 25, 2022, by Paramount Pictures.
6. It will then expand wide on January 6, 2023.
7. The movie follows a young Mexican American actor Manny Torres pursues a career in 1920s Hollywood, starting as an assistant.
8. It was announced in July 2019 that Damien Chazelle had set his next project, a period drama set in the golden age of Hollywood.
9. In Summer 2019, writer-director Damien Chazelle took a draft of the film’s script to the major studios. There was immediate buzz due to the script’s quality, which actor Brad Pitt later praised as “really, really good”.
10. However, several executives reportedly hesitated due to a projected budget in the $80-$100 million range.
11. Consequently, Chazelle spent time reworking the script to reduce the budget. Soon after, a bidding war erupted between Paramount Pictures and Lionsgate Entertainment to land the film’s worldwide distribution rights.
12. Lionsgate was the frontrunner to acquire the project, with Emma Stone and Brad Pitt in the mix to star.
13. In November, Paramount Pictures acquired worldwide rights to the project, with Stone and Pitt still circling roles.
14. Brad Pitt confirmed his involvement in January 2020, describing the film as being set when the silent film era transitioned into sound.
15. He will play a character modeled on actor and director John Gilbert.
16. In December 2020, Stone exited the film due to scheduling conflicts, with Margot Robbie now in early negotiations to replace her, and Li Jun Li was also cast.
17. Prior to Emma Stone dropping out of the project, this would had been the second collaboration between Damien Chazelle and Stone as they previously did La La Land (2016).
18. Margot Robbie would be confirmed in March 2021, with Jovan Adepo and Diego Calva also joining.
19. In June, Katherine Waterston, Max Minghella, Flea, Samara Weaving, Rory Scovel, Lukas Haas, Eric Roberts, P.J. Byrne, Damon Gupton, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze, Phoebe Tonkin and Tobey Maguire joined the cast.
20. Tobey Maguire is also an executive producer for the film.
21. In July 2021, Jean Smart joined the cast.
22. In August 2021, Chloe Fineman, Jeff Garlin, Telvin Griffin, and Troy Metcalf joined the cast of the film.
23. Filming was set to take place in California in mid-2020 after securing a state tax credit.
24. However, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and instead began filming on July 1, 2021.
25. Filming wrapped on October 21, 2021.
26. It was initially scheduled for a December 25, 2021 limited release and a January 7, 2022 wide release, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those were later shifted.
27. Emma Stone was originally cast in the lead role, which was announced to be based on Clara Bow, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts after the production was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. After Margot Robbie replaced her, the role was reworked to become more fictional in nature.
28. Both Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio read Damien Chazelle’s script for Babylon (2022) while filming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). DiCaprio’s friend Tobey Maguire is one of the producers of Babylon.
29. The opening scene of the film, expected to last 30 minutes, will feature “Fellini-esque debauchery” and graphic imagery involving a long orgy, reminiscent of films such as Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999).
30. In November 2019, the California Film Commission awarded the project a $17.5 million tax credit allocation for shooting the period drama in the state of California.
31. The commission estimated that the film would generate $83.4 million in “qualified spending” – defined as below-the-line wages to California workers and payments to in-state vendors – but the allocation was contingent on production beginning within 180 days but with scheduling delays amid the pandemic, it appears it won’t make the deadline.
32. While on a podcast, Damien Chazelle stated the script was inspired by the TV show, Babylon Berlin (2017).
33. Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt previously starred in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). Both this and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) explore the transition periods in movie industry.
34. This story explores the transition period between silent movies and talkies and the latter explores the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles. Third collaboration between Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt after The Big Short (2015) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). However, they shared no scenes in those movies.
35. The film cast includes two Oscar winners: Brad Pitt and Spike Jonze; and two Oscar nominees: Margot Robbie and Eric Roberts.
36. Coincidentally, just as Margot Robbie eventually took over the lead role from Emma Stone in this film, Stone was ultimately cast over Robbie in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014), in the supporting role of Sam.
37. Olivia Wilde and Spike Jonze previously worked on Her (2013) together.