Willem Dafoe stars as Ed Saxberger, a postal worker and former poet whose quiet obscurity is upended when a group of young admirers rediscovers his early work, in director Kent Jones's new film "Late Fame". The role is notably subdued compared with the actor's recent grander turns, and arrives amid one of Dafoe's busiest years, with five further 2026 projects underway, underscoring his enduring range across independent and blockbuster cinema.

"Late Fame" opens in New York on 7 August before expanding to Los Angeles and other cities on 19 August, with Edmund Donovan and Greta Lee co-starring. Dafoe's other 2026 work includes "Tenzing", in which he plays the leader of the first successful Everest ascent, and "Werwulf", a 13th-century gothic horror from Robert Eggers, continuing a partnership that has also produced "Nosferatu", "The Lighthouse" and "The Northman". In an interview with Variety, Dafoe reflected on his career since New York's 1970s experimental theatre scene, his two most recent Oscar nominations for "The Florida Project" and "At Eternity's Gate", and his creatively demanding collaborations with Eggers and Yorgos Lanthimos.