Cate Blanchett Goes All in on Absurd Alien Comedy ‘Alpha Gang'
The Hollywood Reporter • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Cate Blanchett stars in and produces "Alpha Gang," a new film premiering at the Telluride Film Festival, described as an "alien Chekhovian" story about aliens posing as a 1950s Eastern European biker gang.
- Directed by David and Nathan Zellner, the film blends absurdist humor with sincere, poignant explorations of human nature, avoiding typical alien invasion tropes in favor of a more grounded, character-driven narrative.
- Shot on location in Bulgaria and Croatia, "Alpha Gang" features an international ensemble cast including Léa Seydoux, Lily-Rose Depp, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Riley Keough, Doona Bae, Dave Bautista, and Chris Pine, with Blanchett joining in the final act as a heavily accented antagonist.
- The project had been in development for about a decade, with Blanchett and her producing partner Coco Francini helping to assemble the cast and support the Zellners' vision, maintaining the filmmakers' signature blend of weirdness and sincerity.
- The film explores the aliens’ naive attempts to understand human culture and emotions, offering a unique mix of humor and pathos that challenges conventional sci-fi invasion narratives.
