Xavier Dolan | Photo credit: Instagram/ @xavierdolan
Canadian director Xavier Dolan has announced his return to feature filmmaking with a new project, a period horror film set in 1880s France. Dolan hasn’t directed a feature since Matthias and Maxim In 2019, shared information about his upcoming film on the Canadian Cinema Podcast Without filter.
Dolan revealed, “It’s something I wrote before the pandemic, and I’m revisiting it… It’s a genre film, a horror film, set in France in the 1880s.” The director’s hiatus from feature films has been marked by other creative pursuits, including a short film Happy DiamondsMusic Videos Adele: Easy on Meand TV miniseries the night logan woke up,
Dolan’s inspiration for the horror genre seems to be connected to his personal experiences and artistic challenges. “Unconsciously, I keep coming back to the same themes, in a period I don’t know but that I like and in a genre that I like, but with a completely different proposition,” he said. “I feel like I can surpass myself, learn and grow with the themes that I love but in the horror genre.”
The director also spoke about the financial and logistical aspects of the project, and emphasized its high cost due to the need for period-accurate costumes and lighting. Dolan plans to shoot on location in and around Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, as well as in a studio setting.
In addition to his film work, Dolan is preparing for the publication of a book titled Friendship through filmwhich celebrates the 10th anniversary of his acclaimed film MotherThe book, a collaboration between his company Sons of Manuel and French film company MK2, will feature unseen images from the film world. Mother The photoshoot was captured by photographer Shayne Laverdier.
