Lilly Wachowski, who co-wrote and co-directedThe Matrixalongside sister Lana, is making her solo feature directorial debut with the queer dramedy Trash Mountain, perCollider. According to the film’s synopsis, Trash Mountain follows a gay Chicago man in his 20s who must return to rural Missouri to deal with the death of his father — an obsessive hoarder who has left a house full of items, some valuable and some not so, to pick through.
Actor, comedian, and writer Caleb Hearon will lead the film. Hearon penned the script alongside Ruby Caster. Hearon began his career as a stand-up comedian, later writing for theBig MouthspinoffHuman Resourcesand appearing in series includingFargo, Work in Progress,and, most recently,Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
“When my pal Caleb Hearon sent me ‘Trash Mountain,’ I leapt at the chance to direct it,” Lilly said. “So beautiful and sad and funny! Queer representation and stories are vital at this time as we are being shoved further into the margins. Our amazing writers, Caleb and Ruby are a shining light in all this dang darkness.”
Trash Mountainis produced byJurassic Parkdirector and writer Colin Trevorrow, along with Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev for Sight Unseen. In a statement, Trevorrow shared:
“Caleb Hearon and Ruby Caster are true originals and Lilly Wachowski is a living legend. I’m insanely lucky to call them collaborators and friends.”
Additional casting forTrash Mountainis underway.
Every Movie Directed by the Wachowskis, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes
The Wachowskis are visionaries with a mixed bag of movies, while still having wonderful messages. Here are their films, ranked by Rotten Tomatoes.
The Wachowski Sisters Join Other Sibling Filmmaking Duos Undertaking Solo Projects
After collaborating on the critically panned 2015 space operaJupiter Ascending(which the Wachowski sisters co-wrote, co-directed, and co-produced) and Netflix’sSense8,Lana helmedThe Matrix Resurrectionsin 2021(marking her first solo directorial outing on a film). In recent years, Lilly has served as a writer, director (for two episodes), and executive producer for the now-canceled Showtime comedyWork in Progress.
Lilly and Lana are not the only sibling filmmaking duo to famously follow their own paths in recent years. Ethan and Joel Coen last collaborated on 2018’s Western anthologyThe Ballad of Buster Scruggsand have been working on individual projects since - Ethan was at the helm of the documentaryJerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mindand the upcoming Drive-Away Dolls, while Joel directed the 2021 adaptation of Shakespeare’sThe Tragedy of Macbeth. We recently learnedthe two will reunite for an upcoming “very bloody” horror film.
The Matrix
The Safdie Brothers last collaborated on Uncut Gems, and Benny recently toldThe New York Timesthat he and his brother, Josh, would move forward with individual projects, adding:
“I will direct on my own, and I will explore things that I want to explore. I want that freedom right now in my life.”
The Wachowski sisters made their joint directorial debut with 1996’s stylish neo-noirBound. The Matrix(their second directorial project) premiered in 1999. It was a box office success and spawned two sequels:The Matrix ReloadedandThe Matrix Revolutions,both written and directed by the sisters. Lilly and Lana’s other projects includeV for Vendetta, Speed Racer,andCloud Atlas.
