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Feature Film (Untitled)
Feature Film | tbd
On December 9, 2022, Searchlight Pictures announced that Taylor will make her feature directorial debut with the studio. She has penned an original screenplay, which will be produced by the Oscar-winning company behind Nomadland and The Shape of Water. Plot details and casting remain under wraps, with further information expected to be revealed at a later date.
Table of Contents
Background and Announcement
Taylor has been directing or co-directing her music videos since 2010’s “Mine,” so it came as little surprise to many that she would eventually pursue a feature film. By 2022, she had become the only solo artist in history to win the MTV VMA for “Best Direction” twice, recognized for All Too Well: The Short Film and “The Man.” The 14-minute production of “All Too Well“—which Taylor wrote and directed—was screened at both the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. In addition to receiving a Grammy nomination, the short was submitted for consideration at the 2023 Oscars. Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival, Taylor openly shared her ambition to move into filmmaking:
«I’d love to keep taking baby steps forward. And I think that I’m at a place now where the next baby step is not a baby step. It would be committing to making a film. And I feel like I would just absolutely love for the right opportunity to arise because I just absolutely, absolutely adore telling stories this way.»
When speaking about her filmmaking ambitions, Taylor said she hoped to tell “human stories about human emotion,” while also imagining herself venturing into “a comedic, irreverent place.” Searchlight Pictures presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield called her “a once-in-a-generation artist and storyteller,” adding that working with her was “a genuine joy and privilege” as she stepped into this new chapter.
Her connection with Greenbaum dated back to 2018, when her then-partner, actor Joe Alwyn, was filming The Favourite. Sensing her passion for cinema and admiration for auteur directors, Greenbaum introduced her to figures like Guillermo del Toro, the visionary behind The Shape of Water and Nightmare Alley. According to Puck News, del Toro invited her to tour his treasure-filled memorabilia house in the Valley and even offered career advice. “I gave her a few books I thought would be interesting — among them, very importantly, The Science of Fairy Tales, which was invaluable to me in creating Pan’s Labyrinth,” he told W in December 2022.
With Netflix and Amazon ready to throw vast budgets at her, Searchlight instead pitched something different: creative partnership, curation, and a track record of launching first-time filmmakers like Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer). Known for championing intimate, smaller-budget projects from Nomadland to The Banshees of Inisherin, the studio offered the perfect home for her vision — a modestly budgeted, personal story far from the scale of Nightmare Alley. In fall 2022, Taylor attended the New York premiere of Banshees with her frequent collaborator, production designer Ethan Tobman, who also designed The Menu, Searchlight’s hit of the year. The studio further spotlighted her during awards season by pairing her with Banshees director Martin McDonagh for Variety’s “Directors on Directors” series, cementing her place in Hollywood’s creative conversation.
Her connection with Greenbaum dated back to 2018, when her then-partner, actor Joe Alwyn, was filming The Favourite. Sensing her passion for cinema and admiration for auteur directors, Greenbaum introduced her to figures like Guillermo del Toro, the visionary behind The Shape of Water and Nightmare Alley. According to Puck News, del Toro invited her to tour his treasure-filled memorabilia house in the Valley and even offered career advice. “I gave her a few books I thought would be interesting — among them, very importantly, The Science of Fairy Tales, which was invaluable to me in creating Pan’s Labyrinth,” he told W in December 2022.
With Netflix and Amazon ready to throw vast budgets at her, Searchlight instead pitched something different: creative partnership, curation, and a track record of launching first-time filmmakers like Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer). Known for championing intimate, smaller-budget projects from Nomadland to The Banshees of Inisherin, the studio offered the perfect home for her vision — a modestly budgeted, personal story far from the scale of Nightmare Alley. In fall 2022, Taylor attended the New York premiere of Banshees with her frequent collaborator, production designer Ethan Tobman, who also designed The Menu, Searchlight’s hit of the year. The studio further spotlighted her during awards season by pairing her with Banshees director Martin McDonagh for Variety’s “Directors on Directors” series, cementing her place in Hollywood’s creative conversation.
Production
Production had to wait, since in 2023 and 2024 Taylor was travelling the world on her “The Eras Tour,” which became the highest-grossing tour of all time. The untitled project continued to be developed at Searchlight Pictures, with company president Matthew Greenfield taking an active role.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the film announced?
On December 9, 2022, Searchlight Pictures revealed that Taylor would make her feature directorial debut with the studio.
What is the film about?
Plot and casting details have not been made public. The project is described as having a modest budget and intimate subject matter.
Who is writing the script?
Taylor wrote the original screenplay herself.
General Information
| Released | tbd |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Taylor Swift |
| Written by | Taylor Swift |
| Produced by | tbd |
| Running Time | tbd |
| Distributed by | Searchlight Pictures |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Cinematography | tbd |
| Edited by | tbd |
| Production Companies | Searchlight Pictures |
| Starring | tbd |
Directors on Directors