Alejandro G. Iñárritu may be currently shooting his latest starry big screen spectacle, an as-yet-untitled film for Warner Bros. led by Tom Cruise, but the Oscar-winning director is also delving back into his filmmaking past.
In a new book, Iñárritu will explore the production of his debut feature “Amores Perros,” the critically acclaimed crime thriller that first bowed in 2000 in Cannes, would be nominated for an Academy Award and — perhaps most importantly — heralded the arrival of a new master of modern cinema.
Published by Mack on the 25th anniversary of “Amores Perros’” release, the book — also entitled “Amores Perros” — features unseen on-set photography, storyboards and stills from the making-of by storyboard artist Fernando Llanos, Iñárritu’s handwritten notes and scene breakdowns. Meanwhile, alongside a new text by Iñárritu himself, it will include contributions by director Walter Salles (whose “I’m Still Here” recently won the Oscar for international film), award-winning novelists Jorge Volpi and Wendy Guerra, film critic Elvis Mitchell and Llanos.
The release of the book also coincides with an exhibition in Mexico City, and shows at LACMA, Los Angeles, and Fondazione Prada, Milan.
‘Amores Perros’
“Amores Perros” was hailed for presenting the fierce realities of Mexico City’s underworld through three interlocking narratives of hope and fear, desire and revenge, played out by Emilio Echevarría, Goya Toledo, Gael García Bernal and Marco Pérez. According to the publishers, the film’s “luminous and gritty visual language is translated to the page in this new publication, which marks the film’s twenty-fifth anniversary with an unprecedented deep dive into its production,” adding that the book “offers a rich insight into the practice and process of one of the world’s leading filmmakers.”
After making waves with “Amores Perros,” which won the Critics’ Week award in Cannes, Iñárritu’s 2003 film “21 Grams” landed Sean Penn a best actor award in Venice, while 2006’s “Babel” didn’t just complete his “Death Trilogy,” but won him Cannes’ best director award and seven Oscar nominations. His 2014 feature “Birdman” won four Oscars, including best picture and best director, while “The Revenant” would earned him a second consecutive best director Oscar.
Iñárritu’s as-yet-untitled film, starring Cruise alongside Jesse Plemons, Sandra Hüller, Sophie Wilde, Riz Ahmed, Michael Stuhlbarg and John Goodman, is due for release in 2026.
Last year London-based Mack struck a deal with A24 to distribute the studio’s range of books internationally.