Director Damien Chazelle became the youngest recipient of the Oscar for Best Director when he won the coveted award for his musical romance La La Land. He has helmed multiple critical darlings such as Whiplash and First Man, which have given him the status of a modern-day auteur due to certain directorial trademarks that he employs in his films.
While he had an amazing record at the box office and during Awards season with the above-mentioned films, he seemed to have missed the mark with his last film Babylon. Starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Diego Calva, the film was a box office disaster. Chazelle recently mentioned that he might not be able to make his next film due to Babylon’s failure.
Damien Chazelle Is Unsure About His Next Film
Damien Chazelle became a wunderkind of sorts when he broke into the scene with his universally acclaimed sophomore musical drama Whiplash. The JK Simmons and Miles Teller starrer received nominations for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and more, while winning Best Editing, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Sound Mixing.
Chazelle’s next film La La Land received even more acclaim, getting fourteen nominations at the Academy Awards and winning six, including Best Director, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score among others. Though his fourth film First Man did not get much love at Awards season, it was still appreciated by critics and audiences.
However, the director’s Babylon was a box office disaster. Set in the 1920s during the end of the silent film era, the film had a budget of $80 million and only earned $63 million at the box office. It also received a polarizing response from audiences and critics, with many divided on their opinion of the film.
Recently, Chazelle expressed how he was not sure about the impact of the film’s failure on his career. While on the Talking Pictures podcast with Ben Mankiewicz, he mentioned how he might not be able to get the same huge budget for his next film considering how lackluster Babylon’s performance was. He said,
“I’ll get a taste of how it’s changed or not [since Babylon] once I get to finish this script and try to get it made. I’m in a sort of trepidatious state of mind, but I have no illusions. I won’t get a budget of “Babylon” size any time soon, or at least not on this next one.”
While he did not mention what his next film was about, he did say that he was almost done writing the script and would be shopping it around studios.
Why Did Babylon Flop At The Box Office?
On paper, Damien Chazelle’s Babylon was going to be a sure-shot box office and critical darling. The film had one of the most beloved directors, Damien Chazelle, who was known for his charming and musical exploration of old-school Hollywood and romance in La La Land (which almost won Best Picture). It starred Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, who had previously collaborated on another old-school Hollywood-related project Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.
The film also had an amazing score by Josh Horowitz (which earned an Oscar nomination) and was an exploration of 1920s Hollywood and the transitional period from the silent era to the talkies. With such big stars, a proven director, and a screenplay that promised excess, the film was touted to be the next big thing and would be sweeping all Awards.
However, when the film was released in Christmas 2022, it opened to mixed reviews and polarizing opinions. The film’s trailer failed to generate any interest, and according to The Digital Spy, only earned $14 million domestically after four weeks. The website attributed its failure to the releases of films such as Avatar: The Way of the Water and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish.
The failure of Babylon seemed to have adversely affected Damien Chazelle as he mentioned that he was not even sure if his next film would get made. The film had a budget of $80 million for production and an equivalent for marketing. However, it only earned $63 million in total and was a flop as it had to make $250 million to make a profit. Damien Chazelle said in the Talking Pictures podcast,
“Certainly, in financial terms, “Babylon” didn’t work at all. You try to not have that effect what you’re doing creatively, but, at some level, it can’t help but affect it. But maybe that’s okay? I have very mixed mind about it. Maybe I won’t be able to get this one made. We’ll have to wait and see.”
While Damien Chazelle’s Babylon did earn five Golden Globe nominations and three Oscar nominations, it failed to win any of the big awards except a Golden Globe for Best Original Score.
