Willem Dafoe to lead near-future drama Cuddle, directed by Barbara Paz

Willem Dafoe is reuniting with Brazilian filmmaker Bárbara Paz for Cuddle, a near-future emotional drama exploring loneliness, vulnerability, and human connection. The four-time Oscar nominee will play Dante, a professional cuddler offering platonic touch and comfort to strangers in a world where affection has become rare and commodified.

The role marks a deeply introspective turn for Dafoe, portraying a man whose calm demeanour masks a private struggle with addiction and isolation. As he drifts through life in quiet companionship with his dog, an unexpected encounter forces Dante to confront his own emotional barriers and opens the door to an unlikely, tender bond.

Cuddle is the fiction feature debut of Paz, whose acclaimed 2019 documentary Babenco: Tell Me When I Die — a tribute to her late husband, legendary filmmaker Hector Babenco — was Brazil’s entry for Best International Feature at the 93rd Academy Awards. Dafoe served as associate producer on that film, further cementing his longstanding creative connection with Paz and Babenco. He previously starred in Babenco’s My Hindu Friend (2015), playing a terminally ill filmmaker modelled after Babenco himself.

The new project is being co-produced by Brazil’s Conspiração, fresh off its Oscar win for I’m Still Here, alongside Infinity Hill, producers of Argentina, 1985, and Paz’s own company BP. Cuddle also marks the first collaboration between Infinity Hill and Conspiração. Producers include Renata Brandão and Juliana Capelini for Conspiração; Axel Kuschevatzky, Phin Glynn, and Cindy Teperman for Infinity Hill; and Bárbara Paz for BP.

Dafoe remains one of the most prolific actors of his generation, with several projects on the horizon. He’s set to appear in Kent Jones’ Late Fame, Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, Nadia Latif’s The Man in My Basement, Miguel Ángel Jiménez’s The Birthday Party, Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl, and Saverio Costanzo’s Finally Dawn. He is currently filming Jennifer Peedom’s Tenzing and recently joined the cast of Gastón Solnicki’s English-language dark comedy The Souffleur.