Jeremy Saulnier, the director responsible for Netflix’s hit action thriller Rebel Ridge, has said that he’s already working on his next film. Unfortunately, for those digging his latest feature, he isn’t working on a sequel to Rebel Ridge, or something remotely touching on the same genre. Apparently, he has decided to go back to his less “sober” roots.
The director appeared on The Playlist podcast, where he expanded on the screenplay he’s currently writing. Saulnier has decided to return to the tone of previous projects like Green Room and his first feature, Murder Party, and take a more fun approach to his unique storytelling style. Per Saulnier’s statement:
“I’m currently writing something that’s a little more in the
Green Room
universe. Because with
Rebel Ridge
, I was exploring a new side. I was just tired of everything I do being oppressive. But I’ve kinda gone back. It has to do with music and Halloween and fun sh*t.”
Jeremy Saulnier’s Rebel Ridge is the result of years of struggle. It’s understandable that the director doesn’t want to go through what was a difficult project from the beginning. The writer/director took on the project in 2018 when John Boyega was attached to the project as the lead character, Terry Richmond. When Boyega abandoned the project right before production began, Rebel Ridge‘s future became uncertain. Saulnier explained:
“We were grateful to restart the project the next year [after the pandemic]. That didn’t work out. There’s no bad blood. There’s no ill will. It was really about it wasn’t meant to be. Out of respect to everyone involved, it ended up being the right and only path for the film. That same year, I was able to cast Aaron Pierre.”
Jeremy Saulnier is One of Today’s Most Interesting Filmmakers
Few modern filmmakers have a distinct cinematic identity, but Saulnier is certainly one of them. His films are rich in character development and very consistent in tone. Usually, he explores the inherent darkness that’s present in these movie characters (he also directed a couple of episodes of True Detective Season 3), and he does so by examining the nuances that other filmmakers don’t always see. His scripts are thoroughly designed to complete the necessary arcs to make his characters logical, regardless of the bitter moral codes that the films explore. Though very short, Saulnier’s career speaks highly of his consistency as a unique storyteller:
Title |
Year of Release |
---|---|
Murder Party |
2007 |
Blue Ruin |
2013 |
Green Room |
2015 |
Hold the Dark |
2018 |
Rebel Ridge |
2024 |
Rebel Ridge
is currently streaming on Netflix.