‘The Brutalist’ producers on helping Brady Corbet realize his epic vision: ‘This was just a dream scenario’
Brookstreet Pictures founder and CEO Trevor Matthews and President Nick Gordon have literally never worked on a project like The Brutalist.
“We’ve gotten accustomed to saying it’s the best screenplay to ever come into this company and that’s not hyperbole. It’s just the truth,” Gordon tells Gold Derby. “You put that screenplay down, and you just sort of say to yourself, ‘We have to figure out a way to get this made.’”
Mission accomplished. The epic film and a top awards contender is out now in a limited engagement in New York and Los Angeles before a wider release set for early next year. Directed by Brady Corbet and co-written by Corbet and Mona Fastvold, Corbet’s wife, the film tells the story of Lazlo Toth (Adrien Brody), a Hungarian architect who escapes Europe during World War II and immigrates to America. Over several years, Toth grapples with the conflicts at the heart of the idea of an “American dream” while eventually reconnecting with his wife, Erzsébet (Felicity Jones). The Brutalist debuted to rave reviews at this year’s Venice Film Festival and was later acquired by A24.
“It was so epic in scope. It really harkened to the great films and classical cinema from the ‘50s, the ‘60s, the ‘70s. And it just fell we don’t see a lot of material like this in the indie landscape, because it tends to be so kind of genre-focused or trying to punch above its weight from a commercial standpoint,” Gordon adds of the film, which Corbet shot in 35mm VistaVision and which is being projected on 70mm in locations that allow for the format presentation. “This just felt like a real piece of cinematic art with scope and scale and vision, and we just were just so enamored with it.”
Before The Brutalist, Brookstreet was largely known for producing genre films, like 2017’s First Kill (which Gordon wrote) and the 2021 Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain moral thriller The Forgiven. But Matthews says no matter what kind of project the company backs, the questions he and Gordon ask before agreeing to get involved are usually the same.
“We spend a lot of time talking about every angle. What’s the experience going to be like making this? Where do we think we’re going to shoot it? What are the roles like? What do we think of the director’s past work? What do we think of the material? Is there anything we’d want to change?” Matthew says of the script, which topped 160 pages (the finished film is 215 minutes with a built-in 15-minute intermission. “With this one, you couldn’t take a single scene, even with the length of the script, you couldn’t pick any moment that shouldn’t be there.”
So far, The Brutalist has parlayed its strong reviews and awards success. It led all dramas with seven Golden Globe nominations and won Best Film at the New York Film Critics Circle. It is widely expected to receive several Oscar nominations next year, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Brody, Best Director for Corbet, and Best Original Screenplay for Corbet and Fastvold.
“We throw the word ‘visionary’ around lightly, but it really applies to Brady,” Gordon says. “He had every frame of this movie in his head before he started shooting and he brought his full tool kit to bear. I think that’s very inspiring for everybody else that’s coming out to play. This is a special project. It’s a passion project. And Brady’s kind of like a pied piper. Everybody kind of just gets inspired by his energy and his vision. So our job as producers is to not have any waste, stretch every dollar, and be as smart as we possibly could with each department’s budget. That was inspiring to be around and you feel that energy all day, every day, on set, in pre-production, as you’re figuring out how to tackle all these challenges.”
“Nick and I always like to say that it’s a miracle anytime a film gets made,” adds Matthews. “It’s like trying to align seven different planets at the same time. We’re proud of every film that we’re able to get into production. But of course, this one feels special, and it’s just been incredible to be a part of it. We’re in business for wins, and it feels nice to have a win. For the movie to get this level of a release, and to have A24 behind it in the U.S., it has been a dream. So it’s great to see the film getting the kind of perfect launch to the market. And, yeah, it’s been, it’s been a learning experience, and it’s been one hell of a ride.”