‘Nomadland’: Chloé Zhao and crew reveal how they made one of the year’s best films

Editor’s Note: “Nomadland” won best picture, Chloé Zhao best director, and Frances McDormand best actress at the 93rd Academy Awards on April 25. This feature, published ahead of the awards, asked the cast and crew to reflect on the production of a history-making Oscar winner.

Having been wrenched from the earth, the mineral gypsum is crushed first. It’s then blasted at high temperatures and ground down, packed up and shipped out to find a new purpose. What’s left behind is a void; an empty space where something once thought permanent used to be.

Such was the fate of Empire, a mining town near the Black Rock Desert, Nevada. When the gypsum mine closed in 2011 under the weight of the recession, it extinguished the community and scattered its people. Not even the zip code survived.

Out of this event the character of Fern was born, the lynchpin of Chloé Zhao’s Oscar-frontrunner “Nomadland.” Played by Frances McDormand, Fern is a widow who leaves Empire to become a nomad and travel the American West. Amid its vast landscapes she finds a new purpose with people brought together by happenstance and bonded by the road.

Fern is a fiction, but the world she inhabits is not. The itinerant lifestyle of a subsection of the baby boomer generation is becoming well-documented – through Jessica Bruder’s 2017 non-fiction book “Nomadland: Surviving America in the 21st Century,” from which “Nomadland” was adapted, but also Zhao’s film.

The director’s novel approach, enlisting two-time Oscar winner McDormand to act as a friend and confidant to real life nomads playing themselves, has become one of the film’s most beguiling features, if not its defining one. These interactions, like everything in “Nomadland,” appear effortless. But the film’s grace was hard won; the product of a dedicated crew who found poetry out west and presented it to audiences with rare clarity.

Winner of a slew of awards, the film has been nominated for six Academy Awards: best director, best adapted screenplay and best editing for Zhao, best actress for McDormand, best cinematography for Joshua James Richards, and best picture. But how “Nomadland” was made is every bit as noteworthy as the film itself.

CNN spoke to Zhao, her cast and her crew, and asked them to recall the long journey to screen. The following interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

The story begins in 2017 when McDormand and producing partner Peter Spears optioned the rights to Bruder’s book. In 2018 McDormand pitched the film and the directing job to Zhao, whose second feature “The Rider” had impressed the actor.

Joshua James Richards, cinematographer/production designer: Chloé had been looking at alternative ways of living on the road for years, so there was an element of serendipity when Frances McDormand came with this project.

I read the book the same time as Chloé (Richards is Zhao’s partner as well as regular cinematographer) and there were some early discussions about the potential for narrative – because it was unusual to take a documentary book and turn it into narrative. But we immediately saw this middle ground and that excited us.

Zhao spent time with the film’s two professional actors, McDormand and David Strathairn, developing their characters, but she also needed to cast the nomads. She and Richards embarked on a road trip in their campervan “Akira” to connect with the community, including Swankie and Linda May, who featured in Bruder’s book and would go on to star in the film.

Linda May, actor/nomad: Chloé came to visit me in Douglas, Arizona. I happened to have several van-dwelling RV ladies in my neighborhood at the time, and Chloé asked if we could all get together. We just told her stories all day.

Swankie, actor/nomad: They caught up with me in Colorado. I thought it was neat that they actually had a camper van and they were building it out. That sort of surprised me. They cared about the lifestyle.

Chloé Zhao, writer/director: The trip gave me time to let go of all these worries about production and just experience the landscape and meet people and not feel like I had to commit to anything.

Richards: It was kind of an on-the-road screen test. The most important thing was familiarizing ourselves with the nomads and getting a sense of how they’re going to be in front of camera.

Swankie: Chloé doesn’t take no for an answer. It took her two days to talk me into it. I had this surgery coming up and I didn’t know if I would still be in a sling when they started shooting. She said, ‘we’ll work around it,’ and I went, ‘wow, they really must want me.’

Richards: Swankie’s monologue (one the film’s highlights in which she describes a moment of bliss in the wild) came from the first time we met her. Chloé was like, ‘please remember that.’

Those trips are not just important, they’re the magic trick. Because the audience arrives once all these relationships have been formed, but all the work is done really in prep.

Zhao: Every project I’ve done, there is this moment in prep which is my own dark night of the soul. I go, ‘Do I have a movie?’ You’ve gathered so much and it’s all in your head and it hasn’t worked yet. That trip really made me realize that it could.

Beginning in South Dakota in September 2018, the 36-strong crew traveled through Nebraska, Nevada, California and Arizona over six months, picking up scenes as they went. McDormand is in nearly every shot, delivering a flinty, unfussy performance typical of the actor.

Zhao: She’s one of the legends.

Richards: She is a force of nature.

Swankie: I’d never heard of Frances McDormand before. But somebody pointed her out and I thought I should introduce myself. I tapped her on the shoulder and started to say, ‘hi I’m …’ and she turned around and squealed ‘Swankie!’ She started talking to me excitedly about all the plans and the scenes. It was like working alongside an equal.

Richards: It was tough on Fran, because the nomads come in and Chloé would have to work with them quite carefully. And then Fran gets five minutes and just kills it. You feel bad, because we’d leave a scene and everyone’s just ‘Swankie! God, Swankie!’ Then, ‘well done, Fran. Anyway, next scene.’

Linda May: The crew was so enthusiastic. I eventually learned they had morning meetings and would go through what the shoot was going to be that day, so Frances knew what they were trying to capture. I wasn’t included in those roundtable meetings – all for the better.

Zhao: With non-professional actors, I do not like to rehearse them. With these wide-angle lenses close to people, the lens is very sensitive to things that are not authentic. So even though the first take might not be usable, sometimes there might be something there that cannot be repeated. And I would really hate myself if that wasn’t on camera.

Swankie: Oh my god that camera was so big, and he got so close to my face. You forget the camera after a while – until you see the movie on IMAX and realize your wrinkles have been multiplied 50 times.

Richards: (No-rehearsal) impacts everything. Gone are the big lighting rigs. You’re allowing as much freedom as possible.

You have me, Wolf (Snyder, production sound recordist) and Chloé all moving as one. If (image, sound and performance) aren’t all working, then there’s no point. Chloé would even look to Wolf sometimes about performance – close your eyes and you can hear a bad performance almost better than you can see it.

Linda May: Chloé would just say, ‘tell me this story,’ or, ‘we’re gonna have this conversation.’ I just got to be myself. Almost everything was done in one take.

The result is documentary-style testimony within a narrative framework. Perhaps the most powerful account is that delivered by Linda May, who describes contemplating suicide in 2008.

Linda May: I wouldn’t say (I was) happy to share my lowest point, but it was honest. I think sometimes our greatest defeat can turn into our biggest strength. To be able to share that with someone who may be considering ‘this is the end of the road for me, there’s nowhere else to go’ – that if you just take one more step, magic and miracles can happen. To put my life on screen like that, another human being can see, ‘wow, one day she was going to kill herself and today she’s a movie star because she didn’t.’

Richards: It doesn’t get any more collaborative and inclusive than the experience of “Nomadland.” I mean, Derek …

Derek Endres was found through street casting; a young man who had been hopping trains and living on the road for four years, says Richards. Zhao says his scene best illustrates her approach to filmmaking.

Zhao: The scene with Fern and Derek is very special to me. I like to make films where there’s something about it that’s slightly off what the rest of the film is about. Fern is reciting a Shakespeare sonnet with a little young drifter – it seems like it has nothing to do with the rest of the film, but it somehow does fit. When the world throws interesting things at you, catch them.

Richards: We just loved this guy and he started staying at the hotel with us. We said, ‘Derek, do you want to be part of the crew?’ Derek became part of the art department and worked on the movie for a good few months and became part of it.

It’s almost like community theatre, what Chloé is going for. (There have been) questions, ‘why isn’t it just a documentary?’ Why would a documentary be more true than what “Nomadland” is?

Zhao: I think we need both facts and fiction. Since the dawn of civilization, we’ve had poetry, fiction, allegories and myths to help us make sense (of the world) in a safe place.

I don’t have the guts to make documentaries. I think it’s incredibly brave to connect with people and be able to say, ‘this is what you’re giving me: yourself.’ I don’t really know if I could form that kind of relationship. Sometimes, I find the best way to convey truth is through poetry.

Zhao edited the film with an international crew, beginning post-production in 2020.

Richards: Post(-production) was fascinating, in that maintaining naturalism is really difficult to do sometimes. Chloé wanted to be true to the colors that are there and not put anything between the audience. There’s no feeling of the digital intermediate (image manipulation processes including color enhancement) whatsoever.

It was interesting with “Nomadland,” because the experience of the film was just nowhere near complete until sound was done.

Zach Seivers, re-recording mixer/supervising sound editor: Chloé’s insistence that the production sound captures the environment exactly as it is – meaning there’s no crowd control, no locking down of sets – really makes for a magical sounding production track.

Sergio Diaz, sound designer/supervising sound editor: For me, the sound was another character. I wasn’t familiar with the sonic richness of the American West. I was very meticulous selecting the most accurate and atmospheric layers to contribute to the story and make it more powerful, emotionally.

Richards: Chloé and I have been really lucky to be able to collaborate with people who believe in the same kind of things we do. I discovered on “Nomadland” how I want to make movies. Until this film, I wasn’t sure. Now I feel like I know.

“Nomadland” premiered at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival on September 11, 2020, winning top prizes at both. It has been garlanded with awards ever since, and lauded by critics. But some opinions matter more than others.

Swankie: The first time I saw it there were seven other women there that I knew. When my scene came on, that close up, I couldn’t watch it. I honest to god just sat there with my fingers in my ears and my eyes covered up.

I had to go back the next day with nobody with me. That was the first time I actually got it – I could understand the movie from the public’s point of view, I think, because I cried. That was pretty amazing. It’s hard to get gracious enough to watch yourself, especially when you think you’re making a fool of yourself.

Linda May: I know some people say, ‘Oh, it’s so depressing.’ But I don’t see that. I hope that the joy comes through. I think that Chloé got it. What more is there?

Editor’s note: Interviews for this feature were conducted before the death of production sound recordist Michael Wolf Snyder was reported on March 6.

Neon

"Spencer" (directed by Pablo Larrain) -- Larrain's 2016 drama "Jackie," featuring a never-better Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy, was not your average biopic, which leaves us intrigued as to what the Chilean director will do with Princess Diana. Starring Kristen Stewart (pictured), the film will revolve around one weekend at the Sandringham Estate in December 1991, when the princess mulls over the prospect of leaving Prince Charles. "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" cinematographer Claire Mathon is behind the camera and Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood is handling the score, with an autumn 2021 launch planned.

"Spencer" is one of many new and exciting projects in the works. Scroll through the gallery to find out what we're most looking forward to over the coming weeks and months.

Guy Ferrandis/SBS Productions

"Benedetta" (directed by Paul Verhoeven) -- A Cannes 2020 holdover appearing at the festival this summer, Verhoeven's 17th century drama sees Sister Benedetta Carlini roll her sleeves up in plague-beset Tuscany. Starring Virginie Efira (pictured) and Charlotte Rampling, the film is based on Judith C. Brown's 1986 non-fiction book "Immodest Acts -- The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy," but we're not expecting "Showgirls" in a habit.

Warner Bros/Legendary

"Dune" (directed by Denis Villeneuve) -- Frank Herbert's novel has been called unfilmable, and many left unsatisfied by David Lynch's 1984 adaptation will agree. Hopefully Villeneuve will fare better with his big-budget, two-part blockbuster starring Timotheé Chalamet (pictured), Rebecca Ferguson and Oscar Isaac. The first part of this slice of politically-minded science fiction has been pushed back to October (which means you have no excuse not to finish the book). Easily the most anticipated Warner Bros. title slated to debut on HBO Max this year (CNN shares a parent company), the decision to move to the streaming platform has been criticized by some -- including the director himself.

Simone Falso/A24

"The Souvenir Part II" (directed by Joanna Hogg) -- "The Souvenir" (pictured, with Tom Burke and Honor Swinton Byrne), Hogg's gorgeous love letter to youth and the torments of romance, was one of the best films of 2019. Featuring standout turns from Swinton Byrne, mum Tilda Swinton and Burke as a bad boyfriend for the ages, it didn't put a foot wrong. It hardly needs to be said that the prospect of Part II has us on tenterhooks. Indie film darling/Batman Robert Pattinson was lined up to co-star, but scheduling conflicts meant he dropped out. Instead the role has been reportedly split in two, with Harris Dickinson ("County Lines") and Charlie Heaton ("Stranger Things") taking over. Premiering as part of the Director's Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in July.

Lilies Films

"Petite Maman" (directed by Celine Sciamma) -- After wowing with 2019's "Portrait of a Lady on Fire," chalk Sciamma's fifth feature up as essential viewing. Details are few; we have this image, and the cast list suggests the film will focus on children. Last November it was reported that the shoot would end in December, and the film will debut at the Berlin Film Festival in March, indicating that Sciamma has been firing on all cylinders.

Eric Zachanowich/A24

"The Green Knight" (directed by David Lowery) -- Dev Patel in an Arthurian legend for grown ups? Yes please. Playing King Arthur's nephew Sir Gawain on a quest to challenge the Green Knight of legend, Patel (pictured) looks like he'll only further burnish his superstar status. Originally slated for 2020, the film's distributor A24 now has it penciled in for July 30. Meanwhile, Lowery has already moved on to another, more family-friendly fantasy in Disney's "Peter Pan & Wendy."

Searchlight

"The French Dispatch" (directed by Wes Anderson) -- Anderson assembles many of his long-term collaborators in this mid-20th century tale of an American magazine in a fictional French city. The ensemble cast includes Timotheé Chalamet, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Benicio del Toro, Jeffrey Wright and plenty more big names. Adam Stockhausen is in charge of production design, Alexandre Desplat is on score duties and Robert Yeoman is behind the camera. Originally slated for Cannes in 2020 and held back by distributor Searchlight Pictures, it will now debut at the festival in July.

Parisa Taghizadeh/Focus Features

"Last Night in Soho" (directed by Edgar Wright) -- Where would Edgar Wright go after "Baby Driver," the director's toe-tapping heist movie? Wherever he wanted to. What he chose was a paranormal horror movie set in 1960s swinging London. Starring Thomasin McKenzie and actress du jour Anya Taylor Johnson (pictured right, with Wright) alongside veterans including Terence Stamp and the late Diana Rigg, plot details are few but expect the unexpected. Twice bumped back in the schedule due to the pandemic, this is now slated for release in October.

Anna Kooris/A24

"Zola" (directed by Janicza Bravo) -- A film based on a viral Twitter thread, "Zola" tells the story of Detroit waitress Zola (Taylour Paige, pictured right) and customer Stefani (Riley Keough, pictured left) over a wild weekend in Florida. The internet was well acquainted with the duo's stranger-than-fiction story by the time it premiered at Sundance in 2020, but audiences are still holding out on a proper release -- now scheduled for June.

David James/Paramount Pictures

"Mission: Impossible 7" (directed by Christopher McQuarrie) -- One of the first productions hit by the pandemic (a shoot in Venice was canceled last February), Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie's subsequent march across the continent in their Covid-secure bubble has been the model for other films looking to resume production. After high-risk hijinks in "Fallout" -- including that jump (pictured) -- you'd think there would be no place left for Cruise to go, but set photos suggest we'll be seeing more insane stunts. Previously scheduled for 2021, studio Paramount Pictures have bumped it to May 2022.

Nicola Dove/Eon Productions

"No Time To Die" (directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga) -- Daniel Craig's final outing as Bond has had a rocky time of it, from director Danny Boyle bowing out and Fukunaga coming in, to Craig injuring his ankle while filming, to an explosion at Pinewood and, at last count, five different release dates. Has this made us any less excited to see it? Of course not. Let's just hope we don't have to wait any longer than September 2021.

Linda McCartney/Walt Disney Studios

"The Beatles: Get Back" (directed by Peter Jackson) -- Somehow there were 60 hours of unseen Beatles video and 150 hours of unheard audio out in the world, and that's what Peter Jackson has tapped for this intimate account of the band preparing for their first live gig in two years in 1969. According to the makers it will feature the Fab Four's last performance together on the rooftop of Apple HQ on London's Savile Row -- and for the first time, the iconic concert will be shown in its entirety. Disney has said the film will be in cinemas in August.

Tobias Henriksson/SF Studios

"Triangle of Sadness" (directed by Ruben Östlund) -- Östlund completed filming his follow-up to the Cannes Palme d'Or-winner "The Square" in Greece in November 2020. The plot sounds like a jet-setting "Lord of the Flies," following the fate of models and billionaires aboard a yacht that sinks, dumping them on a deserted island. Starring Woody Harrelson, Harris Dickinson and Charlbi Dean, we're expecting another biting satire from the Swedish director (pictured center, with cast).

Guy Ferrandis/SBS Productions

"Ahed's Knee" (directed by Nadav Lapid) -- Lapid (pictured left on the set of 2019 Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear-winner "Synonyms") returns with what is reportedly a semi-autobiographical movie. Set in a remote desert village, it centers on an Israeli filmmaker caught in dual battles, "against the death of freedom" and "the death of a mother." Debuting at Cannes this summer.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

"Memoria" (directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul) -- Weerasethakul, a Palme d'Or winner at Cannes for 2010's "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives," returns with Tilda Swinton (pictured) as his star in a project that's as opaque as it is intriguing for fans of the Thai director's work. Swinton plays a Scottish orchid farmer in Colombia who is tormented by bangs in the night. It's the first feature the director has filmed outside of Thailand; we're excited to see what shape his unique brand of visual poetry finds abroad. In competition at Cannes this July.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

"Fire" (directed by Claire Denis) -- Denis (pictured) put her adaptation of "The Stars at Noon" (starring Robert Pattinson and Margaret Qualley) on the backburner due to the pandemic, and moved on to "Fire," starring Juliet Binoche and Vincent Lindon. The film is reportedly about a love triangle involving a woman caught between her partner and his best friend. Denis and Binoche worked together on "High Life" and "Let the Sunshine In," while Denis' protégé Mati Diop steps back in front of the camera after her 2019 Cannes winning directorial debut "Atlantics."

FILM COMPANY TOHO COMPANY/Alamy

"Your Name" (directed by Lee Isaac Chung) -- One of the most celebrated anime films in recent years is getting a live action remake by one of this year's most acclaimed directors. Makoto Shinkai's 2016 body-swap romance (pictured) will be reimagined by Chung, the writer/director of "Minari," with J.J. Abrams producing. The beloved original grossed a whopping $234 million in Japan, so no doubt there are great expectations attached to this remake.

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"I'm a Virgo" (directed by Boots Riley) -- Boots Riley (pictured) directing Jharrel Jerome ("When They See Us," "Moonlight") sounds like a delightful combination, while the concept behind this Amazon series looks to be totally off the wall. A coming of age story about a 13-foot-tall Black man living in Oakland, California, "this show will either have me lauded or banned," Riley has joked. We know what a provocateur the director can be (see his debut "Sorry to Bother You"), so expect someone -- maybe everyone? -- will get skewered.

CG Cinéma International

"Annette" (directed by Leos Carax) -- Carax hasn't made a feature since 2012's indefinable, unforgettable "Holy Motors," so whatever came next was always going to be hotly anticipated. Written by US cult band Sparks and playing out nearly entirely in song, "Annette" is reportedly set in Los Angeles and features Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver as star-crossed lovers. Acquired by Amazon Studios way back in 2017, it will open the Cannes Film Festival this July.

Chris Reardon/A24

"The Northman" (directed by Robert Eggers) -- After sending Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson to watery hell in "The Lighthouse," Eggers (pictured right, with Pattinson on the set) has an epic on his hands with 10th century Icelandic thriller "The Northman." Eggers reunites with Dafoe and Anya Taylor-Joy ("The Witch"), and Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke and Björk join the party, with Alexander Skarsgard leading as a prince out for revenge. Production wrapped last December, and soundbites from the cast suggest awe and terror -- so just another day at the office for Eggers then.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

"How Do You Live?" (directed by Hayao Miyazaki) -- Studio Ghibli co-founder Miyazaki retired in 2013 but like a cuddly Michael Corleone, he was pulled back in. Reportedly Miyazaki's motivation was to make a film for his grandson. If "How Do You Live?" sticks to the source text, Yoshino Genzaburo's 1937 novel, it will follow the spiritual journey of a teenage boy who moves in with his uncle after his father's death. In 2020, the film's producer said he hoped it would be finished "in the next three years," so it's still a way off. Bring tissues; we're expecting tears.

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"Titane" (directed by Julia Ducournau) -- French director Ducournau (pictured) spiked the coming of age formula with a dose of cannibalism in 2016's "Raw," and since then we've been waiting with bated breath. "Titane" is said to begin with a young man reappearing after 10 years -- much to the relief of his parents, but he arrives just as questions emerge about a string of murders. Neon bought US rights to Ducournau's second feature in 2019 and it now finds itself in the running for the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Untitled Spike Lee Viagra musical -- Lee had a big 2020, with "Da 5 Bloods" and David Byrne concert film "American Utopia" proving critical hits. His next project will be a musical about Viagra and the true events surrounding its discovery. The film's hilarious premise has some serious talent behind it; Lee is working from a screenplay co-written with artistic director of the Young Vic theater Kwame Kwei-Armah, and songs and music are by Tony award-winner Stew Stewart and nominee Heidi Rodewald. If you're feeling a little blue, this is sure to perk you up.

Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images

"Madres paralelas" (directed by Pedro Almodóvar) -- Pedro Almodóvar and Penélope Cruz reunite after the director's semi-autobiographical hit "Pain and Glory." Almodóvar has said the story is set in Madrid and tracks the parallel lives of two mothers who give birth on the same day. Filming is reportedly scheduled to begin in March.

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"Lingui" (directed by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun) -- Chad's most celebrated director returns to the country of his birth after 2017's Paris-set "A Season in France." In "Lingui," single mother Amina must help her 15-year-old daughter when she is raped and becomes pregnant, but an abortion in Islamic Chad is fraught with peril. Playing in competition for the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

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"The Power of the Dog" (directed by Jane Campion) -- Jane Campion (pictured right) heads to Netflix for her adaptation of Thomas Savage's 1967 novel of the same name. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons, the US-set plot follows the fate of polar-opposite brothers Phil and George Burbank, and the fallout when George marries local widow Rose. Cumberbatch as sadistic brother Phil mounting a campaign against Dunst's Rose sounds like great casting for this pyschodrama. Filmed in New Zealand in 2020, it will be released by Netflix later this year.

Warner Bros.

"The Matrix 4" (directed by Lana Wachowski) -- One of cinema's most influential sci-fi franchises returns after an 18-year hiatus with Lana Wachowski writing and directing. Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss and Jada Pinkett Smith are back, with newcomers Priyanka Chopra, Jonathan Groff and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II joining the fray. Scheduled for December, the trailer hadn't been released at the time of writing and the plot details are a closely-guarded secret.

Haut et Court

"Gagarine" (directed by Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh) -- Sixteen-year-old Yuri lives on the outskirts of Paris and dreams of outer space. When his home, Gagarin Towers, named after the Soviet cosmonaut, is threatened with demolition he joins the resistance, intent on saving the building and community that raised him. Social commentary abounds: the very real Cité Gagrine was demolished in 2019. Selected for Cannes 2020, "Gagarine" missed out on a grand debut when the festival was cancelled, but the film has fared well at other festivals.

Michael Coles/Sony Picture Classics

"Nine Days" (directed by Edson Oda) -- We love high concept sci-fi that takes a swing, and Edson Oda takes a big one with his existential feature debut. Winston Duke stars as Will, a mystical being who must interview candidates for the vacancy of a new life on Earth. These unborn souls are tested, and face oblivion should they fail, but one candidate, Emma (Zazie Beetz), presents a test for Will himself. After delays the movie will be released this summer.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Comics

"The Batman" (directed by Matt Reeves) -- By our count Robert Pattinson (pictured) is the 11th actor to play the superhero on the big screen, and from what we've seen so far, his Bruce Wayne is giving off strong goth vibes. One of the most interesting actors of his generation will be aided by a stacked supporting cast including Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as The Riddler and Colin Farrell as The Penguin. Covid-related interruptions to Reeves' film -- including Pattinson contracting the virus -- mean we'll have to wait until March 2022 for its release, but a spin-off series on HBO Max is already in the works.

Phobymo/Universal Pictures

"Old" (directed by M. Night Shyamalan) -- The mercurial director returns with what looks like another tantalizing thriller. Gael García Bernal (pictured), Vicky Krieps and Rufus Sewell star as victims of a mysterious tropical beach that causes the tourists who land on it to rapidly age. Get ready for the holiday of a lifetime -- literally.

courtesy Reliance Entertainment

"'83" (directed by Kabir Khan) -- The '83 in the title of Khan's highly-anticipated Bollywood movie refers to 1983, the year India's cricket team made history by clinching the Cricket World Cup for the first time. That team was captained by an imperious Kapil Dev, played here by Ranveer Singh (pictured), who spearheads a cast that includes Tahir Raj Bhasin as legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar and Deepika Padukone as Dev's wife Romi. Scheduled for release in India in June, sporting biopics don't come much bigger.

Fabio Lovino/Universal and MGM

"House of Gucci" (directed by Ridley Scott) -- Based on the novel "The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed," Scott's movie stars Adam Driver as Maurizio Gucci and Lady Gaga as his wife Patrizia Reggiani in a real-life tale of crime and couture. The fashion boss was shot outside his office in Milan in 1995, with Reggiani sentenced to 29 years in prison for orchestrating the assassination. Scott, now in his eighties, is prolific as ever, with historical action flick "The Last Duel" (also starring Driver) already wrapped. This one is released in November.

AF archive/Alamy Stock Photo

"Irma Vep" (directed by Olivier Assayas) -- Assayas' much-loved 90s movie starring Maggie Cheung (pictured) is getting a TV reboot from the French director, with backing from HBO and A24. His lead this time around is Alicia Vikander, playing Mira, a disillusioned American movie star who moves to France to remake the classic silent film "Les Vampires." When Mira loses herself in her character, fiction and reality blur.

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"Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (created by and starring Donald Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bridge) -- Two of TV's brightest stars team up for this Amazon series, based on the 2005 film about married assassins commissioned to kill each other. We can only assume the creators of "Atlanta" and "Fleabag" will star as Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Expect fireworks and plenty of wit -- Glover and Waller-Bridge appeared together in "Solo: A Star Wars Story" and their banter was one of the film's highlights.

Warner Bros/Everett Collection

"Lord of the Rings" (J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay showrunners) -- Peter Jackson's trilogy (pictured) was a box office titan and critical hit, so it makes sense that Amazon is going all-out with its TV series (which, it should be noted, has nothing to do with Jackson). It's set thousands of years before "The Lord of the Rings," with writers mining J.R.R. Tolkien's prequel novel "The Silmarillion" for material. While the cast is new to Middle-earth, the setting will look familiar to audiences -- filming took place in New Zealand.

Courtesy of Sundance Institute/Mass Distraction Media

"Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)" (directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson) -- If you're missing live music, this electric documentary is sure to scratch that itch. Thompson has recovered lost footage of the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, when a veritable who's who of Black musical excellence -- from Nina Simone to Stevie Wonder to Hugh Masekela -- graced the stage in Mount Morris Park, New York. A winner at this year's Sundance Film Festival, this celebration of an event dubbed the "Black Woodstock" was bought by Searchlight Pictures and Hulu and is set for a July 2 release in the US.