Kelly Reichardt remains a very, very small-scale director, even after movies like Old Joy and Wendy and Lucy won rapturous reviews from critics (like me) and attract name talent like Michelle Williams. Given that she films outside of Hollywood with shoestring crews, it makes sense that the beginning of filming of her next film, Meek's Cutoff, flew under the radar.

In today's Variety piece about Paul Dano joining the cast of Wichita, the final paragraph mentions that he's part of the Meek's Cutoff cast, alongside girlfriend and theater actress Zoe Kazan, Bruce Greenwood, Michelle WIlliams and Shirley Henderson. The fact that there are so many moderately well-known actors in the film suggests that there are a lot more characters operating in this one than in Wendy and Lucy, and maybe a lot more money too. Not that any of these actors are demanding huge salaries, but simply having that many members of SAG probably requires a bigger budget than she's had before.

Wendy and Lucy made me an unabashed fan of Reichardt, and I've wondered ever since then when her next project would get going (11 years passed between her first feature, River of Grass, and Old Joy). It's thrilling to realize she's keeping up a fast pace with her work, and I'll be as excited as anyone to see how this turns out.