Daniel Zovatto, Bill Pullman, Shiloh Fernandez Join Paul Schrader’s ‘Basics of Philosophy’ (Exclusive)

Paul Schrader‘s next feature, The Basics of Philosophy, is rounding out its cast.

Daniel Zovatto (Woman of the Hour), Bill Pullman (Lost Highway), Shiloh Fernandez (The Odyssey), Dana Delany (Tulsa King) and Karl Glusman (Nocturnal Animals) have been added to the film, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. Jack Huston (House of Gucci) and Sofia Boutella (Rebel Moon) were previously reported as stars of the movie that wrapped principal photography late last month.

The Basics of Philosophy focuses on a repressed philosophy professor (Huston) who has been grappling with lingering guilt over a decision from his past when the victim suddenly returns to his life. The project continues Schrader’s “man in a room” stories that began with his script for Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and have also included the features First Reformed, The Card Counter and Master Gardener that count Schrader as writer and director.

Schrader helmed The Basics of Philosophy from his own script. Serving as producers are Braxton Pope and David Wulf, who both previously collaborated with Schrader on The Card Counter, which Focus Features released in 2021 following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Sean Price Williams (Good Time) served as cinematographer on The Basics of Philosophy for his first project with Schrader.

“A character I’ve returned to over the years — the taxi driver, a drug dealer and a card player — is now a professor of philosophy,” Schrader says. “His father’s death free-falls him into the past. A similar man wearing a new mask.”

Adds Pope, “Paul is a singular, original voice in American cinema — creating a new chapter in the book of his creative life with our superb cast has been deeply rewarding.” And Wulf notes, “Schrader’s mastery of the subtlety of characters and experiences drives an authenticity rarely found in modern films — it’s a remarkable feat watching Paul test and transcend generational boundaries and norms tackling troubling issues with ease.”

After his breakout success with Taxi Driver, Schrader worked on the scripts for such Scorsese projects as Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ and Bringing Out the Dead. Schrader has directed such movies as American Gigolo, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters and First Reformed, with the script for the latter earning the filmmaker his first Oscar nomination.

Huston is represented by CAA and 111 Media. Boutella is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment and 42 Management & Production. Zovatto is repped by Gersh. Pullman is repped by CAA. Delany is repped by UTA. Fernandez is repped by Untitled Entertainment and Ziffren Brittenham. Glusman is repped by Paradigm and manager Ilene Feldman.