It's been a long while since we've seen Edgar Wright's trademark madness on the big screen, as it's been almost four years since The World's End took its bow in theaters everywhere. Apparently patience does pay off, as Baby Driver not only marks the end of that drought, it's set to make a pretty big premiere, as the film has just been announced as debuting at this year's South by Southwest Film Festival.
SXSW just made the announcement through an official press release, which lists Baby Driver among all of the high profile Headliners from this year's film festival. Wright's latest sees Ansel Elgort playing the lead, a getaway driver who drives with a custom soundtrack of his own, and he has recently gotten in too deep with some criminal elements. Co-starring in yet another impressive Wright-assembled cast are Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Lily James, Kevin Spacey and in an unknown capacity, Meryl Streep.
Baby Driver looks like it's in good company this year, as it joins some other hotly anticipated films that have been much buzzed about through all corners of the Internet. Below are the details on all of the films in the Headliner category:
HEADLINERSBaby DriverDirector/Screenwriter: Edgar WrightA talented, young getaway driver relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. But after being coerced into working for a crime boss, he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom. Cast: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jon Bernthal, Eiza González, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx (World Premiere)Free Fire (UK)Director: Ben Wheatley, Screenwriters: Ben Wheatley, Amy JumpBold, breathless and wickedly fun, Free Fire is an electrifying action comedy about an arms deal that goes spectacularly and explosively wrong. Directed by Ben Wheatley. Starring Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Sharlto Copley, Jack Reynor. Cast: Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Jack Reynor, Babou Ceesay, Enzo Cilenti, Sam Riley, Michael Smiley, Noah Taylor (U.S. Premiere)On The Road (UK)Director/Screenwriter: Michael WinterbottomMichael Winterbottom follows acclaimed British rock band and Grammy nominees Wolf Alice on their tour, recording their gigs as well as the romance and routine of their daily life backstage. (North American Premiere)Song to SongDirector: Terrence MalickIn this modern love story set against the Austin, Texas music scene, two entangled couples -- struggling songwriters Faye and BV, and music mogul Cook and the waitress whom he ensnares -- chase success through a rock 'n' roll landscape of seduction and betrayal. Cast: Rooney Mara, Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett (World Premiere)
Of particular note are Ben Wheatley's Free Fire, which looks like incredible fun and boasts Brie Larson and Armie Hammer as part of the cast; and Song To Song, which sees Terrence Malick directing Rooney Mara, Ryan Gosling and Michael Fassbender in a music-themed drama about love and making it big. So basically, if you'd ever wanted to see Malick direct La La Land, this just might be what you were looking for.
Meanwhile, the following films make up SXSW's Narrative Spotlight line-up:
NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHTThe ArcherDirector: Valerie Weiss, Screenwriter: Casey SchroenArcher champion Lauren Pierce escapes a corrupt juvenile correctional facility with Rebecca, a fierce but alluring inmate and together they must survive a desperate warden who is bow-hunting his prey to make sure his secret stays buried. Cast: Bailey Noble, Bill Sage, Jeanine Mason, Michael Grant Terry, Kurt Fuller, Dendrie Taylor, Grace Victoria Cox, Andrew Caldwell (World Premiere)The Ballad of Lefty BrownDirector/Screenwriter: Jared MoshéAging sidekick Lefty Brown (Bill Pullman) has ridden with Eddie Johnson (Peter Fonda) his entire life. But when a rustler kills Eddie, Lefty is forced from his partner's shadow and must confront the ugly realities of frontier justice. Cast: Bill Pullman, Kathy Baker, Jim Caviezel, Tommy Flanagan, Peter Fonda, Joe Anderson, Diego Josef, Michael Speers, Lewis Pullman, Joseph Anderson (World Premiere)Daphne (UK)Director: Peter Mackie Burns, Screenwriter: Nico MensingaDaphne is London. Daphne is the crowd of faceless strangers we brush past everyday. Daphne is being young and always searching for more. Daphne is life, an unpredictable mixture of comedy and tragedy. Cast: Emily Beecham, Geraldine James, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Nathaniel Martello-White (World Premiere)Easy LivingDirector/Screenwriter: Adam KelemanSherry Graham, a self-destructive makeup saleswoman, hopes a new man and business venture will provide her a fresh start. After her plans are foiled, she takes control of her life in a dramatic turn of events. Cast: Caroline Dhavernas, McCaleb Burnett, Elizabeth Marvel, Charlie Hofheimer, Jen Richards, Daniel Eric Gold, C.J. Wilson, Taylor Richardson, Mary Catherine Garrison (World Premiere)GeminiDirector/Screenwriter: Aaron KatzA heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant and her Hollywood starlet boss. As the assistant unravels the mystery, she must confront her own understanding of friendship, truth, and celebrity. Cast: Lola Kirke, Zoë Kravitz, John Cho, Greta Lee, Michelle Forbes, Nelson Franklin, Reeve Carney, Ricki Lake, Jessica Parker Kennedy, James Ransone (World Premiere)Going to Brazil (France)Director: Patrick Mille, Screenwriters: Julien Lambroschini, Sabrina Amara, Patrick Mille Four childhood friends are reunited at a wedding in Rio. But when they accidentally kill a young man during a party that gets out of hand, they are forced to flee the city in a crazy adventure. Cast: Alison Wheeler, Vanessa Guide, Margot Bancilhon, Philippine Stindel, Patrick Mille (International Premiere)Hot Summer NightsDirector: Elijah BynumHot Summer Nights is a dark coming-of-age story set in Cape Cod, Massachusetts during the sweltering heat of summer 1991. Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Maika Monroe, Alex Roe, Maia Mitchell, William Fichtner, Thomas Jane, Emory Cohen (World Premiere)Hounds of Love (Australia)Director/Screenwriter: Ben YoungIn the mid 1980's seventeen-year-old Vicki Maloney is randomly abducted from a suburban street by a disturbed couple. As she observes the dynamic between her captors she quickly realizes she must drive a wedge between them if she is to survive. Cast: Ashleigh Cummings, Emma Booth, Stephen Curry, Susie Porter, Damian de Montemas, Harrison Gilbertson, Fletcher Humphrys (North American Premiere)Lane 1974Director: SJ Chiro, Screenwriters: SJ Chiro, Clane HaywardAt 13 years old and the eldest of three kids, Lane struggles to keep her family together as her iconoclast mother moves without warning through the communes and dusty back woods of Northern California. Cast: Sophia Mitri Schloss, Katherine Moennig, Sara Coats, Linas Phillips, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sarah-Eve Gazitt, Annette Toutonghi, Harry Curtis, Ronin West, Shayla Timbermoon (World Premiere)Madre (Chile)Director/Screenwriter: Aaron BurnsA pregnant woman, who is taking care of her son with development problems, is at her breaking point when a caregiver from the Philippines steps into her life. Diana suspects that she's using voodoo against her after the quick improvements of her son. Cast: Daniela Ramirez, Cristobal Tapia Montt, Aida Jabolin, Matias Bassi, Ignacia Allamand, Nicolás Durán (North American Premiere)Most Hated Woman In AmericaDirector: Tommy O'Haver, Screenwriters: Tommy O'Haver, Irene TurnerDarkly funny, true story of the rise and untimely demise of Madeline Murray O'Hair---crank, swindler, iconoclast, and America's most outspoken atheist. Cast: Melissa Leo, Adam Scott, Juno Temple, Vincent Kartheiser, Josh Lucas, Peter Fonda (World Premiere)Mr. RooseveltDirector/Screenwriter: Noël WellsAfter a death in her family, struggling LA-based comedian Emily Martin returns to Austin. There she finds herself in the awkward position of staying with her ex and his new girlfriend until the funeral, while trying to close old doors from her past. Cast: Noël Wells, Nick Thune, Britt Lower, Daniella Pineda, Andre Hyland, Doug Benson, Armen Weitzman, Sergio Cilli (World Premiere)Small CrimesDirector: Evan Katz, Screenwriters: Evan Katz, Macon BlairSmall Crimes is a delightfully suspenseful, blackly comic tale that follows a disgraced former cop, fresh off a six-year prison sentence for attempted murder, who returns home looking for redemption but winds up trapped in the mess he left behind. Cast: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Jacki Weaver, Robert Forster, Gary Cole, Molly Parker, Macon Blair, Pat Healy (World Premiere)Small Town CrimeDirectors/Screenwriters: Ian Nelms, Eshom NelmsEx-cop, Mike Kendall, finds the body of a young woman and, in an act of self-redemption, becomes hellbent on finding the killer. While his uncouth, quirky detective style helps break the case, his dogged determination puts his family in danger. Cast: John Hawkes, Anthony Anderson, Octavia Spencer, Robert Forster, Clifton Collins, Jr., Michael Vartan, James Lafferty, Daniel Sunjata, Caity Lotz, Jeremy Ratchford (World Premiere)This Is Your DeathDirector: Giancarlo Esposito, Screenwriters: Kenny Yakkel, Noah PinkThis Is Your Death is an unsettling look at reality T.V. where a disturbing hit game show has its contestants ending their lives for the public's enjoyment. It captures the sad truths about the world's desire to be famous. Cast: Josh Duhamel, Famke Janssen, Giancarlo Esposito, Sarah Wayne Callies, Caitlin Fitzgerald, James Franco (World Premiere)Us and Them (UK)Director/Screenwriter: Joe MartinWorking class Danny aims to kick start a revolution by turning the tables on the establishment with a deadly game of chance. Cast: Jack Roth, Tim Bentinck, Andrew Tiernan, Daniel Kendrick, Sophie Colquhoun, Paul Westwood, Carolyn Backhouse, Louis Dempsey (World Premiere)Win It AllDirector: Joe Swanberg, Screenwriters: Joe Swanberg, Jake JohnsonSmall time Chicago gambler, Eddie Garrett, agrees to watch a duffel bag for an acquaintance who is heading to prison. When he discovers cash in the bag, he hatches a plan to win big, against the advice of his gambling sponsor and his brother. Cast: Jake Johnson, Aislinn Derbez, Joe Lo Truglio, Keegan-Michael Key (World Premiere)
Keep in mind, these two categories are just the beginning of the South By Southwest Film Festival, as the Midnighters, the VR programs and the Short Film line-up will all be announced on February 7th. In total, there will be 125 features shown, which also include special festival screenings of both Alien and Ghost In The Shell. The South by Southwest Film Festival will take place between March 10th and 19th, 2017 in Austin, Texas.
