Lars von Trier follows up Antichrist with Melancholia

source: theplaylist.blogspot.com

For those of you who survived the visceral onslaught of Antichrist, strap yourself in for another dose of devilish Danish delight. Details of Lars von Trier‘s latest cinematic escapade, Melancholia, have emerged.

According to a couple of European sources, Penelope Cruz will star in von Trier’s latest project, which supposed explores the “psychology view of a disaster.” Although von Trier is not known for his sensitive approach to female actresses, his films have brought many an actress critical acclaim. Charlotte Gainsbourg picked up the Best Actress award at Cannes last year for her brave work in Antichrist.

UPDATE (11/02/10): So, apparently Penelope Cruz is out. Looks like she’ll be heading to Stranger Tides instead.

The first details of Melancholia were revealed in September 2009. The Danish auteur revealed that the film’s title referred to Planet Melancholia, an enormous celestial body that looms threateningly close to Earth.

Little else is known about the sci-fi thriller, but von Trier added to his original press release, “no more happy endings”, making Lars officially the master of hilarious soundbites.

The film will begin production in Sweden and Germany later this year, on a budget of $5 million. Melancholia will also feature some special effects; another step away from the minimalist Dogme movement that von Trier himself co-founded.

Lars von Trier hopes to debut the film, based on his own screenplay, at Cannes 2011. Because as we all know, no one loves von Trier more than the folks at Cannes.

Check out my review of Antichrist, which I loved, here.

Discuss: OK, so what horrible things is Lars going to make Penelope do in this film?