A few days ago, the Ivy Film Festival hosted a conversation with Baker — director of the Oscar-winning movie “Anora,” and according to an attendee, the filmmaker gave an update on his next film, which might be coming sooner than we thought.
Baker mentioned that he and his wife, Samantha Quan, who co-produced “Anora," had just come back from a trip where they were location scouting for Baker’s next project. If all goes according to plan, a shoot in the fall might happen.
No cast or plot details have been revealed at this time, but at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Baker had mentioned his next film would be again be about a sex worker, although given his recent Oscar triumph, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s decided to go into a whole direction when it comes to his new project.
Filmmaker Sean Baker says fans of Anora and his other films can expect “more of the same” from his upcoming output — and puts to rest any worries he might show up with a bullhorn on the set of a future Avengers installment.
While appearing on The Hollywood Reporter‘s It Happened in Hollywood podcast, Baker confessed he was taking his time choosing a follow-up project to 2024’s Anora, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes before going on to win six Academy Awards — including four for Baker himself, an Oscars record. Among them were best picture, best director, best actress for Mikey Madison and best original screenplay.
“I’m not sure yet,” he said in response to a question about his next film. “I’m still exploring some ideas.”
“Don’t expect a Marvel film,” he said. “It’s not going to happen. I’m intentionally going to stay in the same wheelhouse and with the approximate same budget. I think that I enjoy working in this space of 100 percent independent.”
Marvel is a fertile breeding ground for indie filmmakers who seek to make the leap to bigger budgets and studio franchise films. Among them are James Gunn, Taika Waititi and Chloé Zhao, whose 2021 indie film Nomadland won four Academy Awards, including best picture and best director. Barry Jenkins, meanwhile, directed 2024’s Mufasa: The Lion King for Disney, owner of Marvel Studios, after winning best director in 2017 for Moonlight, another indie.
Baker wants none of it.
“I’m not working for even a mini studio. I’m making my film independently and then going the old school route of hopefully a bidding war or somebody licensing the movie,” he said on the podcast.
Added Baker, “I think that’s the only way to have full autonomy and control over your vision. So it’ll be that. Expect more of the same.”
One of independent cinema’s most ardent and vocal champions, Baker gave a passionate speech at the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards. Accepting the award for best director, he told the audience, “I’m an indie film lifer, and I know that there are other indie film lifers in this room, those who don’t see indie films as calling cards, those who don’t make these films to land a series or a studio film.”
“Some of us want to make personal films that are intended for theatrical release with subject matter that would never be greenlit by the big studios. We want complete artistic freedom and the freedom to cast who is right for the role, not who we’re forced to cast considering box office value, or how many followers they have on social media. The system has to change because this is simply unsustainable,” Baker said, to enthusiastic cheers and applause.
For more from Baker on studio independence and the making of Prince of Broadway, Anora and other titles in his filmography, listen to the full episode of It Happened in Hollywood and be sure to subscribe today.
BAKER: I think the new thing that I’m dealing with is just the pressure of how do I follow up “Anora?” I don’t want to disappoint people, but I want to give something a little new and different. It’s just scary. I don’t know how else to say it. I just woke up. It’s scary. But hopefully I’m working with the same people again, not only making the film, but also distributing the film. And hopefully we make another film that connects.
My favourite filmmakers are filmmakers that do mix it up. They stay in their wheelhouse because that’s their voice. But there’s always a new thing. And hopefully my new thing is just leaning a little more into comedy. For a long time, I’ve made films that I would consider to be dramas or tragedies with comedic elements and I kind of want to push it into the comedy with dramatic or tragic elements. That might be my change.
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