Angel of Death

[Cremildo]

It looks like Jerzy Skolimowski, who just turned 87, isn’t done with filmmaking, and all the better for it. His last film, 2022’s “EO,” was a visionary donkey movie that earned raves, won a Cannes prize, and, quite frankly, felt like it was directed with the youthful energy of someone half of his age.

I’m being told Skolimowski is working on a new film he’s about to pitch to the Polish Film Institute for financing. It’s titled “Angel of Death,” and is set to star Shia LaBeouf in the lead role. LaBeouf also wrote the screenplay! Skolimowski is not just directing, he’s producing as well, through his company Skopia Film.

“Angel of Death,” set during WWII in Auschwitz, tells the story of a Jewish pathologist, Dr. Miklos Nyiszli, who is sent to work under Dr. Josef Mengele. There, he struggles to hold onto his humanity while being forced to endure the atrocities of the Holocaust.

There’s talk the film could begin production as early as this fall, which means, yes, Skolimowski might very well be returning to Cannes next year. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this one. LaBeouf is coming off having starred in David Mamet’s ‘Henry Johnson,’ a low-budget indie, shot in just five days, that was quickly made available online in May. +