Paweł Pawlikowski was to start working on “The Island” in 2023. Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara were involved in the main roles. However, the project was not implemented because of the actors’ strike, which for several months paralyzed work in the film industry.
Although during the Berlin festival in 2024 Mara said that she hoped to return to “The Island”, it seems that Pawlikowski focused on the new production. She is entitled “Fatherland” and recently received 200,000 euros funding the Ministry of Culture of Germany. One of the film producers is Edward Berger, director “in the West unchanged” and “conclave”.
“Fatherland” will be an adaptation of “Wizard” by Colma Tóibína. The book is a fictitious autobiography of the writer Tomasz Mann. She focuses on his childhood in Lubece, marriage in Munich, and opposing the Nazis and escaping to the United States. Pawlikowski wrote the script together with Henk Handloegten.
It is not known whether Łukasz Żal will be the “Fatherland” operator. He worked on the director’s previous films, meaning “goes” and “Cold War”. Their next joint work was to be “The Island”.
“Fatherland” will be Pawlikowski’s first film from the “Cold War” from 2018. She brought him a reward for directing in Cannes. She also won three Oscar nominations – for directing, international film and photos. Alfonso Cuaróna lost to all three categories in all three categories. However, Pawlikowski triumphed in 2015, when Oscar received his “Ida” for an international film.