Paul Dano has landed his next big project. The actor will star in “Bunker,” an elevated psychological thriller from Oscar–winning filmmaker Florian Zeller.
Dano, best-known for his acclaimed performances in “There Will Be Blood,” “The Batman” and “The Fabelmans,” has joined the star-studded ensemble of “Bunker,” led by Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, alongside Stephen Graham and Patrick Schwarzenegger. The actor, who’s been loved-bombed by his Hollywood peers since is Quentin Tarantino called him as “the worst fucking actor in SAG,” recently presented “The Wizard of the Kremlin” (in which he stars as spin-doctor Vadim Baranov) at the Venice Film Festival where it earned a long standing ovation.
Currently in its second week of filming, “Bunker” marks Zeller’s hotly anticipated follow up to “The Son” which competed at Venice and earned Hugh Jackman a best actor nomination at the Golden Globes; and “The Father” which won best actor for Anthony Hopkins and best adapted screenplay (for Christopher Hampton and Zeller) at the Oscars.
“Bunker” explores the unraveling of a family as a mysterious construction project — a bunker commissioned by a powerful tech mogul — begins to infiltrate their lives. The movie is already positioned as one of 2026’s standout projects. Zeller, a celebrated playright-turned-filmmaker, has guided actors to deliver career-high performances in his first two movies, from Hopkins in “The Father” to Jackman in “The Son.” “Bunker,” which Zeller also penned, also promises to showcase his signature blend of emotional rigor and haunting atmosphere.
“We are thrilled to welcome Paul Dano to the cast,” said Zeller. “From ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ to ‘There Will Be Blood,’ Paul has consistently impressed me as an actor. He possesses an extraordinary singularity — something genuinely unique — and in that sense, he is truly irreplaceable.”
The film is produced by Blue Morning Pictures, which is part of Mediawan, and MOD Producciones. “Bunker” is being shot between Madrid and London. International sales are handled by FilmNation Entertainment with CAA Media Finance and WME Independent handling domestic rights.
Blue Morning Pictures’ Federica Sainte-Rose is producing alongside Fernando Bovaira and Simon de Santiago of MOD Producciones. Alice Dawson also serves as a producer on the film. Mariano Cohn, Gaston Duprat, Andres Duprat, Emanuel Nunez and Fernando Sokolowicz are executive producers.
Zeller praised Gaston and Mariano as “incredibly inventive and talented filmmakers, for whom (he holds) a deep artistic admiration.” “Their film ‘El hombre de al lado’ was a source of inspiration for me while writing of Bunker,” Zeller continues.
Dano is represented by WME, Anonymous Content, Relevant and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.
Zeller is represented by CAA and Adequat in France, as well as attorneys Carlos Goodman and Mitch Smelkinson at Goodman Genow Schenkman Smelkinson & Christopher.
