The Island

The Island (Feature Film)

In Development/Pre-Production • Last Updated on 01/23/2023

Shoot Date: March 31, 2023
Locations: London, United Kingdom

Project Summary:
The dramatic thriller is inspired by true events and follows an attractive American couple in the 1930s who turn their back on civilization to build their own private paradise on a deserted island and live off the land.

Pawel Pawlikowski’s ‘The Island’ is Back On, Sets Shoot in Spain
September 21, 2023
Here’s some good news.

Last month, I reported that Pawel Pawlikowski was attempting to revive “The Island,” which was supposed to star Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara, after bond companies were refusing to insure it ahead of the SAG strike. The project was scrapped on 05.23.23.

Pawlikowski was told on the eve of production that the movie couldn’t be insured, leading to both Phoenix and Mara returning home and the project being put on hold until further notice.

Producers tried other insurance companies but to no avail. However, based on what I had heard, there had been positive developments in reviving the project. Pawlikowski still very much wanted this to be his next movie.

The film is now back on, scheduled to be filmed in Fuerteventura, Spain. The production schedule hasn’t been announced yet. However, filming is expected to begin once the SAG-AFTRA strike concludes.

Described as a drama/thriller, “The Island” is loosely based on real events. Mara and Phoenix play an American couple in the 1930s who escape to their own private island and live off the land. However, a millionaire disrupts their tranquil lifestyle, as he passes by on his yacht, turning the couple into a tabloid sensation.

Pawlikowski’s last two films, “Ida” and “Cold War,” were critically-acclaimed chrome-infused sensations. There’s a lot of high expectations for his next one. Before his last two critical hits, Pawlikowski had also directed the wonderful 2004 coming-of-age romance “My Summer of Love.”