Olivia Wilde Directs Margaret Qualley in Short Film Shot by Matthew Libatique — Watch Trailer
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Olivia Wilde and Margaret Qualley are coming off a breakthrough year in their respective careers. Wilde emerged as a one of the best new directors working today with her critically adored feature debut “Booksmart,” while Qualley delivered the one-two punch of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “Fosse/Verdon,” the latter of which earned her an Emmy nomination. Now, these two are keeping their career momentum burning bright in 2020 by teaming up for the new short film “Wake Up,” shot by the great cinematographer Matthew Libatique. The Wilde-directed short will have its world premiere in Park City in the coming days, timed to the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
“Wake Up” stars Qualley as Jane Doe, a woman forced to rediscover her humanity in an increasingly digital world. Wilde told People magazine about the short film, “It was such a thrill to collaborate with Margaret Qualley to tell this story about what it means to be human. With legendary cinematographer Matty Libatique, and the rest of our extraordinary crew, I had the chance to make something wild and strange and timely.”
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For Libatique, “Wake Up” brings him back to Sundance just one year after the premiere of “Native Son.” Libatique is best known for his collaborations with Darren Aronofsky, including “Pi,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “Black Swan,” and more. The DP earned his first Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography with “Black Swan,” followed by a second nomination in the category for shooting Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born.” “Wake Up” is the first of two new Libatique-shot projects debuting this winter. The second is “Birds of Prey,” the Cathy Yan-directed DC Comics tentpole starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.
“Wake Up” marks a short film break in between Wilde’s feature directorial efforts. The actress and filmmaker is set to direct a holiday comedy film with her “Booksmart” screenwriter Katie Silberman. Both women are set to produce the feature, which already has the backing of Universal Pictures. Wilde is also developing a psychological thriller centered around a 1950s housewife entitled “Don’t Worry, Darling.” Wilde is planning to direct the project as well.
Watch the trailer for “Wake Up” in the video below, courtesy of People magazine.
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