Celine Song to write and direct HBO e-sports series ‘Damage’
Oscar-nominated director Celine Song is following the success of Past Lives with a curiously bold move: She’s set to write and direct a new HBO series.
Song is currently writing the series, titled Damage. According to The Insneider, it is set against the high-stakes, cutthroat backdrop of e-sports, which “continues to explode in popularity and cultural relevance.”
Though Song is the confirmed screenwriter, she is still weighing up her options as to wearing the directorial hat. Though definitely expected to direct the pilot, Song is reportedly mapping out her schedule before committing to the rest of the series.
Though the world of e-sports may seem like an intriguing choice from Song, previous creations she has worked on reveal her affinity with the subject matter. Song had a rather eclectic career, revealing an uncompromising artistic vision and dauntless approach to storytelling, which led her to direct an ingenious live production of Chekhov’s The Seagull entirely on Sims 4.
Song, previously nominated in the ‘Best Picture’ category for her directorial debut, Past Lives, has another upcoming movie featuring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans. Materialists is only Song’s second movie of her career, and she also wrote the screenplay and produced the film.
Far Out named Past Lives “one of the most heartbreaking works in cinema history,” writing of Song’s craft: “There is confidence in the visual language and poetry of the film, which is even more impressive given that it was Celine Song’s debut feature. Song had a background in theatre, much like the central character in the film. Over the years, filmmakers have weighed in with their own opinions on the correct way to create and approach a story. However, there has been a general consensus that sometimes the most powerful stories aren’t ones that you find but instead that find you.”
The new international trailer for Song’s Materialists is available to watch below before its release on August 16th.
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