Shubhabrata Dutta
Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain is without a doubt one of the most effortlessly intense actors in Hollywood. Be it in a sci-fi movie or a horror movie (‘It Chapter Two’), she is able to pull off her roles with equal ease across all genres. While she made her film debut with the 2008 drama ‘Jolene’ directed by Dan Ireland, it was 2011 that was her breakthrough year with six releases, including Ralph Fiennes’ ‘Coriolanus,’ ‘Jeff Nichols’ ‘Take Shelter,’ Terrence Malick’s ‘The Tree Of Life,’ and Tate Taylor’s ‘The Help.’
In 2014, Jessica Chastain had commercial success with Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar,’ followed by Ridley Scott’s ‘The Martian’ in 2015. In the former movie, she is a NASA scientist, and in the latter, she is an astronaut. So, one can say that the two movies that made her into a star deal with stars themselves. Her more dramatic projects include ‘Salomé,’ ‘A Most Violent Year,’ ‘Molly’s Game,’ ‘Scenes From A Marriage,’ and ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye,’ for which she got an Oscar, a Critics Choice Award, and a SAG Award, along with a Golden Globe nomination. Here are the actress’s upcoming projects.
1. Dreams (February 27, 2026)
Michel Franco directed ‘Dreams,’ which explores a forbidden romance between a lady who works at an arts foundation and a guy who is a ballet dancer. As for the cast, we have Chastain, who will play the woman, and Mexican ballet dancer/actor Isaac Hernandez, a member of the Dutch National Ballet and English National Ballet, among other ballet groups, who will play the guy. We also have Rupert Friend, Marshall Bell, Jim Anderson, Tracy Todd, Lee Braithwaite, and Phillip Caires. ‘Dreams’ will be released on February 27, 2026. You can watch the trailer here.
2. Other Mommy (October 9, 2026)
Filming has wrapped on Rob Savage’s horror movie ‘Other Mommy.’ Nathan Elston adapted the story from Josh Malerman’s eponymous novel ‘Incidents Around the House.’ The story follows eight-year-old Bela, who loves her family, which comprises Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. However, there is also Other Mommy, an otherworldly entity. When horrifying events start occurring within the house, Bela realizes that Other Mommy is getting stronger and more restless, and only the bond of a family can protect them. Chastain will star alongside Dichen Lachman, Sean Kaufman, Karen Allen, Jay Duplass, Arabella Olivia Clark, Adam Silver, Hayley Spelman, and Carrie Dimaculangan. Currently in post-production, ‘Other Mommy’ will be released on October 9, 2026.
3. The Savant (TBA)
Apple TV+’s ‘The Savant’ is an crime action limited series inspired by a Cosmopolitan article written by Andrea Stanley and published in 2019. Melissa James Gibson serves as the showrunner, writer, and executive producer. Stanely is up for consultation on the project. It is directed by Matthew Heineman. It revolves around a female undercover investigator known as “the Savant,” who infiltrates hate organizations that exist on the internet in order to bring down the nation’s most violent people and prevent public attacks.
The series has eight episodes, and the cast, as revealed, includes Chastain as the Savant and Michael Patrick Thornton. The cast also includes Jeremy Bobb, Keeley Karsten, James Martinez, Cole Doman, James Badge Dale, and Nnamdi Asomugha. Chastain serves as an executive producer under her banner, Freckle Films. The series was scheduled for September 26, 2025, but was postponed due to the assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025. A new release date is awaited. You can watch the trailer here.
4. Lear Rex (TBA)
Written and directed by Bernard Rose, this is an adaptation of ‘King Lear,’ one of the greatest tragic plays ever written by William Shakespeare. Jessica Chastain will be playing the role of Goneril, the eldest daughter of King Lear, who will be played by the Godfather himself…Al Pacino. For those who do not know the story, it is about a King (Lear) who divides his land among his two elder daughters (Regan and Cordelia, played by Rachel Brosnahan and Ariana DeBose respectively), giving none to his youngest, Goneril, after she chooses not to feign love, unlike the elder two. Soon, Cordelia and Regan banish their father from the kingdom and take over. The rest of the cast includes Peter Dinklage, Ted Levine, Chris Messina, Danny Huston, Stephen Dorff, and LaKeith Stanfield. ‘Lear Rex’ is in its post-production stage, and more details, including a release date, are awaited.
5. Nemesis (TBA)
Chastain will star alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in the drama series ‘Nemesis,’ directed by Mark Millar. Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the plot is set in the gritty streets of Los Angeles. The show will center on intertwined lives colliding as characters face moral dilemmas, seek revenge, and grapple with their past decisions, leading them down paths of justice and possible redemption. Filming has seemingly wrapped. A release date will soon be announced.
6. Off Weeks (TBA)
‘Off Weeks’ is an upcoming Apple TV+ limited drama series starring Chastain, Ben Stiller, and Stephanie Hsu. Alissa Nutting is the showrunner, with Michael Showalter directing. The story follows writing professor Gus Adler, whose divorce has thrown his life into chaos. He struggles to hold things together during “on weeks” when he has custody of his kids. But in his “off weeks,” he’s falling dangerously in love with Stella West, a mysterious woman whose arrival puts Gus’ on-week duties and off-week ambitions on a fatal collision course. Filming is scheduled to begin in New York City and Jersey City in early January.
7. Heartland (TBA)
‘Heartland’ is an upcoming mystery thriller written and directed by Shana Feste. Chastain will be seen alongside Garrett Hedlund, John Hawkes, Jennifer Nettles, and Ross Lynch. The Netflix feature follows Misty Jones (Chastain), a former country star who comes out of seclusion to investigate the disappearance of her missing niece (Faith), herself a rising country musician. She must grapple with her own past and Nashville’s seedy underbelly, and her search uncovers a murky side of Nashville where no one, including Misty, is who they seem. Filming is underway.
8. My Darling California (TBA)
Chastain will star alongside Josh Brolin, Mikey Madison, and Chris Pine in Elijah Bynum’s crime thriller movie ‘My Darling California.’ Set in Los Angeles, the film will chart how a single crime weaves together the lives of a TV host, his restless wife, a country music idol, two small-time crooks, and an ex-con, all of whom are chasing the promise of a better life. The cast also includes Don Cheadle and Charles Melton. Bynum wrote the script. Production is scheduled to start in 2026.
9. Deck the Y’Alls (TBA)
Chastain, Octavia Spencer, and Wanda Sykes will be seen in the upcoming Holiday comedy movie ‘Deck the Y’Alls.’ Tracy Oliver and Stefanie Williams wrote the story, which follows Rachel Stein (Chastain), a savvy New York baker who can roll with anything, until she falls for Beau, a younger Southern gentleman, and heads to Charleston to spend Christmas with his family. But overprotective matriarch Gladys Gibbes (Spencer) is a true steel magnolia whose massive celebrity-chef persona will take all of Rachel’s bless-her-heart best to survive. The movie, which is set in Charleston, SC, will begin production in 2026.
10. The Dealer (TBA)
Chastain and Adam Driver will be seen in the Apple TV+ series ‘The Dealer.’ Written by Lucas Hnath and directed by Sam Gold, the show revolves around an ambitious and aspiring art gallerist (Chastain) as she navigates power, class, and seduction in the elite art world while dealing with her complex relationship with her brilliant albeit disturbing artist (Driver). The project is in its pre-production stage, and details regarding filming are awaited.
11. Assassination (TBA)
Chastain will play Dorothy Kilgallen, the first female crime reporter in America, in Barry Levinson’s biographical thriller ‘Assassination.’ The film will delve into the fateful murder of former US President John F. Kennedy, reimagining his death as a hit ordered by Chicago mob kingpin Sam Giancana, exploring the suggestion that the assassination was payback for JFK’s attempts to undermine the mob, especially after they had played a significant role in getting him elected. Written by Sam Bromell, David Mamet, and Nicholas Celozzi (Giancana’s grandnephew), ‘Assassination’ will also have Al Pacino play Tony Accardo, a senior mob boss. The rest of the cast includes Brendan Fraser, Bryan Cranston, John Travolta, Shia LaBeouf, Viggo Mortensen, Rebecca Pidgeon, and Courtney Love. This film is currently in its pre-production stage, and further details about its filming and potential year of release are awaited.
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