Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals turns 10 this week, and the 2016 American neo-noir psychological thriller remains a stylish, unsettling fan favourite. Here are eight things you may not know about the film.
A $20 million Cannes deal
Focus Features acquired US distribution rights to the film on May 17, 2015, while Universal Pictures handled international distribution. The Focus deal was made for $20 million, making it the biggest deal of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and one of the biggest of the mid-2010s.
It began as Tony and Susan
Tom Ford directed from his own script, based on Austin Wright’s 1993 novel Tony and Susan. Ford said the novel’s appeal was the idea of communicating to someone through a written work of fiction when they had not been able to communicate clearly.
Dual leads and deep casting
Jake Gyllenhaal was set to star in the dual lead roles, and Amy Adams was in talks for the female lead. Aaron Taylor-Johnson was later confirmed as the mysterious character who poses a threat to Tony’s family, and Michael Shannon joined as the detective investigating the violent incident.
The supporting bench filled fast
Armie Hammer joined as Hutton Morrow, Adams’ character’s husband. Isla Fisher signed on as Laura Hastings, Tony’s wife, and Ellie Bamber as Tony’s daughter. Robert Aramayo, Karl Glusman and Peter Nyong’o were also added to the cast.
A Los Angeles shoot
Principal photography began in Los Angeles on October 5, 2015. The final scene in the Japanese restaurant was filmed in the main building of the Yamashiro Historic District. Filming wrapped on December 5, 2015.
Venice gave it a Grand Jury Prize
The film had its world premiere at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2016, where it won the Grand Jury Prize. It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2016, and at the BFI London Film Festival on October 14, 2016. It opened in the United States on November 18, 2016.
A $32.4 million worldwide run
Nocturnal Animals grossed $10.7 million in the United States and Canada and $21.7 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $32.4 million. Its North American wide release on December 9, 2016, opened to $3.2 million, finishing 7th at the box office.
Critics called it a high-wire act
On Rotten Tomatoes, 74% of 299 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10. Leonard Maltin wrote that Tom Ford mastered a tricky narrative and established two separate, completely tangible environments. Peter Travers rated the film 3 1/2 stars out of 4 and wrote that Ford “hits it out of the park with a stunning film noir that resonates with ghostly, poetic terror.”
Which of these did you already know? Tell us your favourite Nocturnal Animals fact.
Facts from Wikipedia: Nocturnal Animals, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Film images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.