Michelle Williams Joins Damien Chazelle’s New Prison Drama With Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig

Michelle Williams has signed on to star in a new, currently untitled drama from acclaimed filmmaker Damien Chazelle. The project already boasts a high-profile cast, led by Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig, making it one of the most anticipated films now in development.

Chazelle wrote the script and will direct the film, which he is also producing alongside Olivia Hamilton under their Wild Chickens Productions banner. Paramount Pictures is set to distribute the movie worldwide.

While official plot details are being kept under wraps, insiders say the story is expected to be set largely in a prison. Production is planned to begin later this year.

The film marks a pivot for Chazelle, who spent much of last year weighing several potential projects. Among them was a long-discussed Evel Knievel biopic with Leonardo DiCaprio circling the lead role. That project was ultimately pushed, opening the door for Chazelle to move forward with this prison-set drama, which quickly gained momentum once Murphy and Craig committed to star.

Chazelle’s reputation as a filmmaker continues to attract top-tier talent. Following the success of movies like Whiplash and La La Land, actors are often eager to read his scripts when they hit the market. Williams reportedly signed on just before the holidays after the project began courting actors for key supporting roles.

Williams is coming off a major awards season high. She recently won a Golden Globe for Best Female Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie for her critically praised performance in Dying For Sex, a role that also earned her an Emmy nomination. On the film side, she was last seen portraying Mitzi Fabelman in The Fabelmans, a character inspired by the mother of filmmaker Steven Spielberg. That performance brought Williams both a Golden Globe nomination and her fifth Academy Award nomination.

With an A-list cast, an Oscar-winning director, and a mysterious prison setting, Chazelle’s new drama is already shaping up to be a major awards-season contender—even before cameras start rolling.