Ari Aster-Joaquin Phoenix film Disappointment Blvd. is now 'Beau is Afraid': First look out

Joaquin Pheonix's collaboration with Midsommar director Ari Aster has been in the works for quite sometime, with the film slated to release in 2023. What's been described as a comedy horror flick whose narrative spans multiple decades to chronicle the life of one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time, the film was originally titled Disappointment Blvd. As per the latest developments, the film has been retitled as Beau is Afraid and the makers unveiled the first look of the film with a poster also including the new title.

The poster unveils what could be believed as Joaquin Pheonix's younger version in the film. While the plot and other key details of the narrative remain under wraps, Ari Aster previously disclosed that his next film is a four-hour-long nightmare comedy but it is unclear at this point if Beau is Afraid has any connection to Aster's 2011 short film 'Beau'. In the short, an anxious man's supposed visit to his mother's place is stalled when his keys are mysteriously taken from the door. This sets off a barrage of sinister events that cause him a lot of turmoil. 

Other reports also suggest that while Ari Aster had announced his next to be a film titled 'Beau is Afraid', the project gained traction as Disappointment Blvd. until the makers chose to revert to the former. 

Beau is Afraid also stars veteran actors Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Patti LuPone, and Parker Posey. This will be Ari Aster's third film, after Hereditary and Midsommar, with A24 Films which has previously produced/distributed films like Ladybird, Uncut Gems, and Everything Everywhere All at Once.