“Things to Come” doesn’t hit U.S. theaters until this Friday, but writer-director Mia Hansen-Løve’s follow-up to the film is already taking shape. The cast for her next project, “Maya,” has been confirmed, and includes Oscar winner Juliette Binoche. The Film Stage reports that the French filmmaker has been “prepping ‘Maya’ for some time,” and the ensemble also features newcomer Aarshi Banerjee, Roman Kolinka (“Eden”), and Cédric Kahn (“After Love”).
“The film follows a 30-year-old man named Gabriel, a French war reporter who was taken to hostage in Syria and then heads to India after months in captivity,” The Film Stage writes. “The story will mainly focus on his journey to Goa, the state in western India where his childhood home is, to reflect on his life after his harrowing experience. Presumably Kolinka will take the lead role, but there’s no confirmation when it comes to any specifics.”
Cinematographer Helene Louvart (“Pina”) has signed on to “Maya,” and the film is expected to begin shooting September 2017 in India, Lebanon, and France.
“Things to Come” made its World Premiere at the Berlinale this February, and Hansen-Løve took home the Silver Bear for Best Director. The critically acclaimed drama stars Isabelle Huppert as a Philosophy professor dealing with the aftermath of her husband’s infidelity and the death of her mother.
Hansen-Løve has released five features in less than ten years — a high number for any director, but particularly for a female director. She has previously described filmmaking as “a very cathartic process.”