According to Deadline, Oscar nominee Margot Robbie (I, Tonya, Birds of Prey) is currently in early negotiations for the female lead role in director Damien Chazelle’s upcoming period drama film Babylon for Paramount Pictures which would reunite her with Once Upon A Time in Hollywood co-star Brad Pitt. Should the deal pushes through, Robbie would be replacing Oscar winner Emma Stone, who has decided to exit the project because of scheduling conflicts. Stone had been attached to lead the film since last year and it would have been her second collaboration with Chazelle following 2016’s La La Land.
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Babylon is described as an original drama set in period Hollywood, a “bold auteur piece with a significant budget.” Lionsgate was previously in the lead to land the movie at auction until Paramount came through with the winning bid.
Paramount has high expectations for the project as they have already slated it for a limited Christmas Day 2021 release in theaters followed by a wide release on January 7, 2022, a prime slate for Oscar season, and given Chazelle’s 23 Oscar nominations across three films. However, given the world’s current situation, it remains unclear if the pandemic has also affected the project’s planned release.
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Chazelle, whose credits include 10 Cloverfield Lane, Whiplash, First Man, and The Last Exorcism Part II, wrote the script and will direct. Olivia Hamilton, Matt Plouffe, and Marc Platt will serve as producers.
(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
