Pop artists foraying into the movie world have varying levels of success, but there was something special about Travis Scott’s new project, Circus Maximus, for it to convince some of the most lauded, if controversial figures in cinema to direct it. Suddenly announced to be dropping in select American movie theatres on Thursday 27 July, the movie is now available to stream on YouTube. This too comes just after the release of his first album in half a decade, Utopia.
So what is Circus Maximus? Who are these controversial directors involved? Are A24 actually involved in its making? And where can I watch it?
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What is Circus Maximus, Travis Scott’s new project?
AMC – the movie theatre exclusively hosting the screenings of the movie, gave us a rough idea of what the project is about. “Prepare to enter Circus Maximus as Travis Scott takes his audience on a mind-bending visual odyssey across the globe, woven together by the speaker rattling sounds of his highly anticipated upcoming album Utopia,” the outline reads. “The film is a surreal and psychedelic journey, uniting a collective of visionary filmmakers from around the world in a kaleidoscopic exploration of human experience and the power of soundscapes.”
That makes it seem like Circus Maximus is the visual accompaniment to Utopia, which, considering the timing of its release – screening from 7pm prior to the album dropping at midnight – would make sense.
What directors are involved in Circus Maximus?
Another motivation behind the thinking that Circus Maximus is Utopia’s visual album is the number of directors involved in its making. While you’d expect one filmmaker to potentially co-direct a feature with Travis, this one has five additional directors: Gaspar Noé, Nicolas Winding Refn, Harmony Korine, Lamb director Valdimar Jóhannsson and Grammy nominee Kahlil Joseph. Perhaps each director worked with Travis on their own individual segment, while the rapper oversaw the whole production?
What we do know is that Harmony and Travis’ love for each other runs deep: the two have collaborated on another film directed by Harmony and starring Travis, called Aggro Dr1ft, which is due to bow at the Venice Film Festival later this year.
How long is Circus Maximus?
The film is 75 minutes long.
Is there a trailer for Circus Maximus?
Yes! Travis revealed the trailer, which you can watch below.
So is A24 involved in Circus Maximus?
When Travis unveiled the poster for the film, it came emblazoned with the A24 logo, but when Variety reached out to the production company for more information they revealed that they’re not, in fact, a part of the production at all.
When and where can I see Circus Maximus?
Circus Maximus was released in cinemas on 27 July. You can buy tickets here. It is also now available to watch on Apple Music and on YouTube, which you can view below.