Tobey Maguire has been cast to play Charlie Chaplin in director Damien Chazelle’s next film, Babylon.
The actor, who was previously attached to the film in an unknown role and as an executive producer, was revealed to be playing the silent film icon during a presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Thursday (April 28).
Early footage from Babylon was also shown during the event, described by Variety as a mix between Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood with “loud music, dazzling costumes and next-level makeup”.
Babylon is a period drama set in the late 1920s during the film’s industry transition from silent films to talkies. Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie lead the cast as silent film stars John Gilbert and Clara Bow respectively, with Maguire as Chaplin in a supporting role.
Other confirmed cast members include Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice), Samara Weaving (Ready Or Not), Jean Smart (Hacks), Li Jun Li (Wu Assassins) and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Babylon marks Chazelle’s fifth feature film, following Guy And Madeline On A Park Bench, Whiplash, La La Land and 2018’s First Man starring Ryan Gosling.
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Maguire recently reprised his role of Spider-Man in last year’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, alongside Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland. Before this, Maguire’s last on-screen role was in 2014’s Pawn Sacrifice.
Speaking about returning to the role of Spider-Man last month, Maguire said: “There was just such an open-hearted coming together, embracing each other and supporting each other. It was really beautiful.”
Babylon is scheduled to be released in December, 2022.