Terrence Malick's Next Two Films, 'Lawless,' 'Knight Of Cups,' Star Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett

Terrence Malick waited six years between his last film and this summer's "The Tree of Life," but there will no such delay for his next film. Or the two after that.

Malick, who is currently directing Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams in the (maybe related) followup to "The Tree of Life," announced on Tuesday the names and casts of the two films that will follow that one.

First, he'll shoot "Lawless," which will feature the all-star cast of Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. Immediately after, Malick will go into production on "Knight of Cups," which will return Bale and Blanchett, and add Isabel Lucas to the mix.

Malick, the enigmatic director who has released just five films since his 1973 debut, is no stranger to working with star-studded call sheets. "The Tree of Life" featured Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, and introduced Jessica Chastain, who has gone on to star in a plethora of movies this year. He worked with Bale on 2005's "The New World," which also starred Colin Farrell. "The Thin Red Line," which came out in 1998, starred Penn, Nick Nolte, John Travolta, George Clooney, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, John Caveziel and Adrien Brody.

The six years between "The New World" and "The Tree of Life" wasn't close to the longest gap between Malick's films; he waited 20 years after 1978's "Days of Heaven" to release "The Thin Red Line."

Comments

[Andrew Saunders]

05:52 PM on 11/28/2011

Ok. So my problem with Tree of Life that it sometimes degenerated into the look and feel of an expensive perfume add. The flip side of that is perfume adds get a lot of their look and feel from Malick's older films.... I am sure there is poetic justice in that, but I am just not sure on who.

Having said that, I am a lifelong devotee of Mr Malick's, and I am always excited by a new film in production.

[AlPal3]

12:49 PM on 11/27/2011

In the Tree of Life, the family drama and the visual history of the world made for a braided meditation worth watching. Unfortunately, the here-on-the-beach-that-is-my-vision-of-the-afterife close compromised Malick's vision, at least in the edit that made it to the big screen. I'm hoping his director's cut better prepares us for such an ending, assuming a director's cut is released.

[aqueryan]

09:39 AM on 11/27/2011

Tree of Life is a profound, awe-inspiring work of cinematic art. 'Nuff said.

[Shimmer48]

04:56 PM on 11/26/2011

I feel Tree of Life is an amazing movie. Why? Because it speaks to and from the right brain... in it's visuals, dialog, and sound. I can also see why almost everyone misses that point. Our society is heavily oriented to the left brain, the side that predominately, divides, judges and attempts to reduce everything to a linear-line plot. The right brain takes it all in... All of it, and does not separate the pieces. All his movies to me contain an inner dialog questioning... what is going on here? They draw a sense of calm and belonging from the real world of Nature... and show an acceptance for the river of life. They leave me feeling Human, for we all suffer the left brains judgements until we see its game and learn to Occupy... our hearts.

[Angrysheepherder]

04:12 PM on 11/26/2011

To each their own. I happen to love his films but can see how to some people they would not be entertaining or whatever. Different strokes.

[Brian MacInnes]

03:42 PM on 11/06/2011

Actually, he spent almost those entire six years MAKING 'Tree of Life'.

[fashinrashin]

10:52 AM on 11/02/2011

Dont comment on Malick naysayers...Stick to "Transformers # 7 " and dont even try to fathom what you cant comprehend.
Its a bit like, if you dont like abortion - dont have one..." OR... if you dont like the TV channel then change it. To tear down someone who is actually trying to say something - just with his camera - is an exercise in stupidity.
Whats next ? You dont like the door frame shot of John Wayne in John Fords, "The Searchers" (AND WHAT IT MEANT !!), because it didnt have enough CGI ?

Just because you dont understand something doesnt make it "bad". SHEEEEEET, what are you Republican filmgoers or something !?

[Doc Wattson]

11:18 AM on 11/26/2011

Everyone is allowed their own taste and opinions. I know many well versed movie people who didn't like Tree of Life.

[DennyCrane]

10:36 AM on 11/02/2011

Malick films are great to look at, but don't have else going on. Makes you wonder so many high profile actors want to work with him. Doesn't seem like his actors get a whole lot to do.

[TrippyWeekender]

08:12 PM on 11/02/2011

Totally agree Denny. "The Tree Of Life" was gorgeously shot but didn't do much with the actors. Hopefully, these next movies will focus more on dialogue.

[Micah J Femino]

10:53 AM on 11/27/2011

Would you guys like someone to hold your hand and explain all of the difficult parts?

[FormerlyTCnSRQ]

08:37 AM on 11/02/2011

who wouldn't like 6 years between jobs. Must pay well.

[stagebandman]

12:07 AM on 11/02/2011

You mean JIM Caveziel.

[theroundearth]

06:18 PM on 11/26/2011

Everybody means Jim CAVIEZEL, I guess.

[stagebandman]

06:46 PM on 11/26/2011

D'OH!

You're right. I, stupidly, copied the author's spelling. Like Huffpo, I need to do some better proofreading.

[Dalovely]

10:49 PM on 11/01/2011

The only one who seems remotely impressed by this director's next two films and its castings is the writer of this article. Please a list of star names no longer means a movie anyone cares to see nor doe it mean the film will be interesting. What was so mind boggling about the Tree of Life? Of course there are those who will feign a film by him is some sort of enlightenment just to give the impression they are film connoisseurs.

[luminavi]

03:10 AM on 11/02/2011

Hehehe ... well said. Feign is the right word indeed.

[fashinrashin]

12:47 PM on 11/02/2011

Luddites and Philistines are 2 a penny in here. I repeat, just because you dont like what he does doesnt mean it is somehow bad. The man deals in allegory and visual metaphor just because you dont like what he is doing doesnt mean its sublime....A big FYI,.... what was going in "The NEW World" was Malicks comment on the new world meeting the old world and what the old world lost. Pocahontas was pure innocence and the embodiment of all that was natural. SHE WAS NATURE, John Smith was the ultimate interloper, she tried to show him how effing beautiful it all was , she tried to show him her world , yet because of his upbringing and conditioning he couldnt understand it until it was too late.
Does that clear up what Malick was doing ?

[Squiriferous]

09:34 PM on 11/01/2011

I can't wait... to see how boring and overhyped these movies turn out to be. Yawn.

[Cyn de Harven]

09:30 PM on 11/01/2011

Can't say I've ever seen a Malick film that I've liked. They're beautiful to look at, but even beautiful gets boring after a while.

[astoltman]

10:23 PM on 11/01/2011

I haven't seen Tree of Life..I tend to think Sean Penn tends to overact. He used to be a great acter, but now he seems to be a caricture (sp?) of himself. But I love Gosling and Bale..I'll check 'em out...

[Cyn de Harven]

10:28 PM on 11/01/2011

You're right about Sean Penn, I agree.

You're also right about Gosling and Bale lol - they would be the only 2 reasons I'd check another Malick film.

[luminavi]

03:13 AM on 11/02/2011

You're not missing anything in not seeing TOL.

Here's an alternative - get a videocamera. Set it down in your yard. Now videotape your grass growing. That little video you'll end up with is what Tree of Life is like.

[lefty81]

08:12 PM on 11/01/2011

I love it when "writer/directors" make snore inducing, whitewashed movies. It just makes me be even more frugal with the value of my dollar in the movie theater:)

[metoo123]

07:03 PM on 11/01/2011

While I appreciate Terrance Malik and his creativity, I wish he could stick to telling a great story and limit the existential exercises on screen. Brad Pitt and those little boys were amazing in Tree of Life, but having to wade through the other she-it to understand a simple story, was too much work AND a big snore. He must be an actor's director, otherwise all these great actors wouldn't clamor to work with him.

[brueso10]

07:12 PM on 11/01/2011

Mallick's never been seeking the approval of the majority when he makes films. It does say something about his work that so many A-list actors scramble to try to be a part of his projects.

[astoltman]

10:28 PM on 11/01/2011

You talking about Oliver Stone?? oh wait, are actors clamoring to work with him??? wrong director...but he does make sh!??y movies...Platoon is the exeption