Guillermo del Toro Starts Work on ‘Nightmare Alley’ Starring Bradley Cooper

Nightmare Alley

Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro has just begun shooting his new thriller Nightmare Alley starring Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born). The film’s set up at Searchlight Pictures and will be shooting in Toronto, Canada.

Cooper’s co-stars include Oscar winner Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), Oscar nominee Toni Collette (Knives Out), Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse), Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water), Oscar nominee Rooney Mara (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy), and Oscar nominee David Strathairn (Lincoln).



Nightmare Alley is based on William Lindsay Gresham’s novel and was adapted for the screen by Guillermo del Toro and Kim Morgan. Del Toro directs and produces with J. Miles Dale.

“I’m inspired and elated to be joined by this brilliant cast,” said del Toro. “Kim Morgan and I have worked with great passion to bring the dark, raw world and language of William Gresham to the screen and now we are joined by a superb group of artists and technicians to bring it to life.”

Given the depth of this incredible cast, I consider it a bucket list privilege to be working alongside them all with the support of our great partners at Searchlight. It’s going to be a joy to watch these world-class actors and Guillermo elevate each other’s craft in this new interpretation of Gresham’s seminal novel,” added producer Dale.

The behind the scenes team includes The Shape of Water‘s costume designer Luis Sequeira, director of photography Dan Laustsen, visual effects supervisor Dennis Berardi, and editor Cam McLauchlin. The Strain‘s Tamara Deverell is the production designer.

The Plot, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures:

In Nightmare Alley, an ambitious young carny (Cooper) with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist (Blanchett) who is even more dangerous than he is.

The carnival cast includes carnival worker Molly (Mara), head barker Clem (Dafoe), and Perlman as Bruno the Strongman. Jenkins is part of the high society crowd as wealthy industrialist Ezra Grindle.