The Greatest Animator Alive Today Making Horror Passion Project That’s Big And Expensive

The rumors that Don Hertzfeldt and Ari Aster would be working together on a film started earlier this year when a tweet mentioned there had been reports that the two were working on something. Instead of denying it, Don Hertzfeldt only responded with an emoji of a mouth zipped shut.

He finally confirmed the rumors at the Overlook Film Festival. A journalist named Carlos Aguilar asked Don Hertzfeldt about the potential collaboration. Though he mostly kept tight-lipped on the details of the project, he did at least admit that there was something in the works.

Unfortunately, while Don Hertzfeldt did release some information, it’s still not very much. All fans know is that it’s an expensive project that he’s been trying to make over the last 15 years. He also confirmed that it’s a horror film and follows the same themes seen in his previous horror shorts, meaning the project will likely feature existential dread.

This could be an exciting venture for Hertzfeldt. Because he’s been mostly working alone, it takes him a long time to finish shorts. According to The Guardian, he’s mentioned he wants to work on larger projects but can’t do it alone. Hertzfeldt explained, “I’m not getting any younger. You just want to work faster. I’m jealous of actors, of musicians, of people able to put out multiple things in one year. To take two years to make a short film is just absurd. I don’t want to use a Marvel term, but we’re expanding the universe. I don’t relish doing this alone! I can’t be drawing little round heads by myself for the rest of my life.”

Now that he’s working with a team on a project, it could be his time to create a large-scale animation. He recently worked on one film with a team called Antarctica, but it fell apart. So this could be his second chance to make something large-scale, with hopefully better results.

Don Hertzfeldt has been pushing the boundaries of animation and storytelling for decades. He’s won over 250 film festival awards. It’s Such a Beautiful Day is one of his most notable works, ranking third on Time Out London’s and fourth on The London Film Review’s list of the 10 Best Films of 2013.

Stephen Cavalier, in his book, The World History of Animation, describes the animator as such: “Hertzfeldt is either a unique phenomenon or perhaps an example of a new way forward for individual animators surviving independently on their own terms… he attracts the kind of fanatical support from the student and alternative crowds usually associated with indie rock bands”

Director and writer Don Hertzfeldt is working with Ari Aster, who is also making a pretty big name for himself. He started as a filmmaker in 2008, though he didn’t stand out as a director until 2011. His films, such as Beau Is Afraid, Hereditary, and The Strange Thing About the Johnsons, are known for their disquieting blend of dark comedy, graphic violence, and horror.

Fans of movies that make your skin crawl and leave you with a sense of discomfort should be excited about these two coming together. They have the potential to make a horror movie that will stand out against many other films in recent history.

Fans will have to wait until Ari Aster and Don Hertzfeldt decide to release more information about their project to find out what the film will be about, its length, and its potential cast.