Upcoming Willem Dafoe Movies: The French Dispatch, The Northman And More

Nightmare Alley – December 3rd, 2021 (Post-Production)

Over the course of his ever-impressive career, Willem Dafoe has joined forces with some of our best living filmmakers, including (but not limited to) David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, Abel Ferrara, Sam Raimi, Oliver Stone, Spike Lee, John Waters, and Paul Schrader. But, for reasons unknown, the Oscar-nominated actor hasn’t collaborated with one of our greatest genre filmmakers, Guillermo del Toro… until now.

Indeed, Willem Dafoe is part of the accomplished cast behind Nightmare Alley, the latest film from the Oscar-winning moviemaker. Along with Dafoe, who’s set to play Clem Hoately, the top-notch ensemble includes Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, Richard Jenkins, Tim Blake Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, Toni Collette, Ron Perlman, and Clifton Collins Jr. That’s quite a cast, but that’s to be expected after the triumphant success of 2017’s Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water. Certainly, with his capability to play up menace and scorn, Dafoe seems like a natural fit for a snarly bad guy, though he’s also an actor capable of tremendous wit and emotional depth. No matter what Dafoe brings to the table here, this is a pairing that was long meant to be.