Pawel Pawlikowski Attempting to Revive The Island Starring Joaquin Phoenix

After being reportedly scrapped earlier this year, a new report from World of Reel suggests that director Pawel Pawlikowski is attempting to revive his film The Island.

What is the status of The Island?

The project — set to star Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara — was supposed to begin filming in May. However, the project was reportedly scrapped due to the film not being able to be insured. While it seemed officially done, World of Reel’s report notes that Pawlikowski “still very much wants this to be his next movie.”

Should Pawlikowski be able to get the project up and running again, the next tall task will be making sure Phoenix and Mara are available for it.

Phoenix specifically is set to star in Ari Aster’s next film Eddington, as well as an upcoming drama from director Todd Haynes. As for Mara, she’s set to star in The Kitchen next.

In The Island, Phoenix and Mara were set to portray an attractive American couple in the 1930s, “who escape to their own private paradise on a deserted island and live off the land,” reads the synopsis. “But after a millionaire passing by on his yacht turns the couple into a tabloid newspaper sensation, a self-styled countess appears with two lovers and plans to build a luxury hotel on the island. As battle lines are quickly drawn, psychological warfare ensues between the countess and the American couple as sexual infidelity, betrayal, and eventually, murder takes place among the island interlopers.”

At the time, The Island was set to be produced by Tanya Seghatchian, John Woodward, Mario Gianani, Lorenzo Gangarossa, and Ewa Puszczynska, with Reno Antoniades executive producing, and hailed from Apocalypso Pictures, Brightstar, Wildside, Vision Distribution, and Extreme Emotions.