Arnaud Desplechin Enlists Léa Seydoux, Jason Schwartzman, John Turturro, and Golshifteh Farahani for His Upcoming Project ‘The Thing That Hurts’

French auteur Arnaud Desplechin’s upcoming feature film “Spectateurs” is on its way to release in just two months. However, he is already set with his next project, “The Things That Hurt.” According to Ecran Total, the filmmaker will be collaborating with some renowned faces of the industry, including Léa Seydoux (his collaborator on Deception and Oh Mercy!), Jason Schwartzman, John Turturro, and Golshifteh Farahani (previously of Brother and Sister) for his next project. 

All about Arnaud Desplechin’s next project, ‘The Things That Hurt’

Arnaud Desplechin is a renowned filmmaker, primarily known for directing films in the drama genre. Throughout his career, Desplechin has garnered widespread recognition for his emotionally rich and complex narratives. The characters’ depth and intensity characterize them. His film follows a nuanced storytelling that puts Desplechin in a unique place in the filmmaking field. 

His notable work includes A Christmas Tale, Kings and Queens, and the 2015 film My Golden Days, for which he was honored with the César Award for Best Director. Considering his previous directorial record, something great can be expected with his upcoming film. Desplechin’s upcoming project is titled The Thing That Hurts. The details of the film have not been fully disclosed. The Thing That Hurts will commence its shooting in Brussels. The film synopsis reads:  “evokes the meeting, following the death of a famous American psychotherapist based in Paris, of some of her patients, who confided in their relationship with the deceased.”

As mentioned above, Desplechin’s work is the amalgamation of memory with grief. Obviously, the same thematic tradition can be expected to be experienced in his upcoming film. In fact, with an intriguing plot and a talented star cast attached to it, the film is all set to mark its name, Desplechin’s oeuvre. However, the film may face challenges in receiving distribution in the United States. Nevertheless, as the result of a financing initiative in 2024, the film is likely to begin its production this year.

Desplechin’s upcoming film Spectateurs is a hybrid project that weaves documentary and fiction. Its cast includes Milo Machado Graner, the young breakthrough actor in Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, and well-known French actors Mathieu Amalric (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) and Françoise Lebrun (The Book of Solutions).

Desplechin said the project was meant to “celebrate movie theaters and their manifold magic” through “memories, fiction and discoveries.”