The 2022 movie “Babylon" follows the rise and fall of several characters during a time of unrestrained decadence and depravity in early Hollywood. It is a story of oversized ambition set in 1920s Los Angeles.
Damien Chazelle is the writer and director of the 2022 American epic black comedy-drama film "Babylon." As Hollywood made the switch from silent to sound movies in the late 1920s, it charted the ascent and fall of numerous characters. In July 2019, Chazelle started working on the movie, with Lionsgate Films as the likely buyer. In November 2019, it was revealed that Paramount Pictures had acquired the rights. Filming in Los Angeles took place from July to October 2021, and the majority of the main cast joined the project between January 2020 and August 2021.
On November 14, 2022, "Babylon" had its Los Angeles Samuel Goldwyn Theater debut. On December 23, 2022, the movie "Babylon" was made available to the general public in the US. Critics were divided on the movie's graphic content and running time, but generally praised the cinematography, score, editing, production design, lead performances, and themes. The movie received three nominations at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, three nominations at the 95th Academy Awards, nine nominations at the 28th Critics' Choice Awards (including Best Picture), and five nominations at the 80th Golden Globe Awards.
How was “Babylon” received at the Box Office?
"Babylon" made $15.4 million in revenue in the United States and Canada, $48 million in other countries, and $63.4 million globally. In the United States and Canada, "Babylon" debuted alongside "Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody," and its four-day opening weekend was initially expected to bring in $12 to $15 million from 3,342 theaters.
The movie debuted at just $3.5 million in its opening weekend (and a total of $5.3 million over the four days), placing fourth at the box office after earning $1.5 million on its first day (including Thursday night previews). Deadline attributed the lower-than-anticipated theater attendance to the general public's declining interest in prestige films, due to the potential triple-demic surge in COVID-19 and flu cases and the widespread effects of Winter Storm Elliott.
The publication also pointed out that for "Babylon" to break even with a combined production and marketing budget of roughly $160 million, it needs to earn $250 million globally. The movie earned $2.6 million in its second weekend, a decrease of 27.5%, and it came in fifth. The movie debuted in Europe to $3.3 million in France and $1.6 million (£1.3 million) in the UK, placing second and third at the box office, respectively.
Who is in the cast of "Babylon"?
For "Babylon," Damien Chazelle's homage to Hollywood's silent film era, he has assembled a cast full of A-list celebrities. The cast of the movie is just as glamorous as the movie itself, with some well-known actors playing cameo roles.
"Babylon," which chronicles the highs and lows of people working in the film industry, including actors, producers, and journalists, has drawn mixed reviews from critics, but one thing they all seem to agree on is the quality of the cast.
Big-name actors like Ryan Gosling, who appeared in “La La Land” and “First Man,” Emma Stone, and J.K. Simmons, among others, have consistently starred in films by director Damien Chazelle.
"Babylon" is no different, despite having a larger cast that includes both well-known actors and relative newcomers. In order to tell its two-decade-long story, "Babylon" travels back to the late 1920s. Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie are among the cast members who take on the roles of intriguing characters.
In addition to Tobey Maguire, who serves as an executive producer on the picture, the cast also includes Katherine Waterston, Max Minghella, Flea, Samara Weaving, Rory Scovel, Lukas Haas, Eric Roberts, P.J. Byrne, Damon Gupton, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze, Phoebe Tonkin, and Samara Weaving. Chloe Fineman, Jeff Garlin, Telvin Griffin, and Troy Metcalf all joined the cast in August after Jean Smart did so in July 2021.
What does the trailer of "Babylon" depict?
A formal trailer for the movie was released on September 13, 2022. It begins with the sound of Nellie LaRoy, played by Robbie, snorting cocaine. "It's written in the stars.” “I am a star," Nellie says. "If I had money, I would only spend it on things that were fun.” “Not boring things, like taxes.” “I just want everyone to party forever."
Pitt is then shown in the trailer. "When I first moved to L.A., signs on all the doors said, 'No actors or dogs allowed.' I changed that," Pitt's character, Jack Conrad, says. The rest of the trailer shows wild parties, haphazard gunfire, and a potential fight between Nellie and a rattlesnake. It screams unhinged Hollywood, to put it simply.
