CAN YOU SAY OSCAR BAIT?

Tobey Maguire Will Play Charlie Chaplin in Damien Chazelle’s Glitzy ‘Babylon’

The “La La Land” director’s homage to the silent film era also stars Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Olivia Wilde, and Jean Smart.

Tobey Maguire is making his starring return to the silver screen in the most iconic way possible—as legendary silent film actor Charlie Chaplin. With the exception of his memorable cameo in last year’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and a voice acting part in The Boss Baby, Maguire has not starred in a movie since 2014. That’s all changing later this year when he appears in Damien Chazelle’s Babylon. 

Babylon is the La La Land director’s loving tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood, specifically the transition from the silent film era to the rise of talkies. On Thursday, CinemaCon audiences got a first look at footage from the upcoming movie.

Maguire stars alongside Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie in the glitzy, champagne-soaked portrait of showbiz during the late 1920s. Pitt (and a sizable prosthetic nose, apparently) plays suave actor John Gilbert, known for his performances in The Merry Widow and The Big Parade. Robbie, meanwhile, will be taking on the role of sex symbol and quintessential flapper girl Clara Bow.

Maguire’s casting in Babylon had already been announced, as he is also an executive producer on the project. But details of who he would be playing were kept under wraps until Thursday’s presentation. It remains to be seen if he will be sporting the signature toothbrush mustache and bowler hat of Chaplin’s Tramp character.

In addition to Pitt, Maguire, and Robbie, the star-studded cast includes Max Minghella, Spike Jonze, Jean Smart, Olivia Wilde, Samara Weaving and Flea (yes, the Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame).

Babylon is slated for a Christmas release. Unsurprisingly, it’s perfect timing for such a juicy piece of Oscar bait to hit theaters—there’s nothing Hollywood loves more than celebrating Hollywood.

Jordan Julian

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