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IN PRODUCTION: “THE DOUBLE”, “CARRIE”, “THE WAY, WAY BACK” AND “VERY GOOD GIRLS”
“In Production” is a regular column which focuses on notable independent films that are currently shooting.
After dropping out of the Ben Stiller-produced comedy The Apostles of Infinite Love, Richard Ayoade is busy directing The Double, his follow-up to his 2010 debut Submarine (also produced by Stiller). Described as a comedic take on Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novella, The Double is about an insecure young man (Jesse Eisenberg – shocker) whose life turns upside down when he encounters his more confident doppelganger. The film also stars Mia Wasikowska (The Kids Are All Right), Wallace Shawn (My Dinner with Andre) and Noah Taylor (Submarine). Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this project (and there are many) is imagining Eisenberg and Shawn sharing the screen together. Let’s just hope their scenes make up a considerable portion of the film. Amina Dasmal and Robin Fox of Alcove Entertainment and Andy Stebbing are producing the film. Film 4 (the sole film unit of UK’s Channel 4) is financing while Protagonist Pictures and France’s Studio Canal are handling international sales. Production on The Double commenced in May in London.
If history does repeat itself, the horror genre might acquire another Oscar-worthy entry with the new adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie, directed by Boys Don’t Cry‘s Kimberly Peirce, which is currently shooting in Toronto, Canada. Stepping in to play the telekinetic prom queen from hell is none other than Hit-Girl herself, Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass). If that’s not enough to wet your appetite, Julianne Moore (The Kids Are All right) stars as her crazed mother, Margaret. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie both earned Oscar nominations for the same roles in the Brian DePalma directed 1976 version. Scripted by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Big Love), Peirce’s Carrie is said to be a re-imagining of the King novel and not a remake of DePalma’s film – something of a trend lately as evidenced in the recent news of Sean Durkin’s (Martha Marcy May Marlene) planned 10-episode re-adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist. The film is being produced and financed by MGM and Screen Gems (a production division of Sony Pictures Entertainment). Carrie also stars Gabriella Wilde (The Three Musketeers), Portia Doubleday (Youth in Revolt) and the always phenomenal Judy Greer (The Descendants).
Oscar-winning writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (The Descendants) re-team for their directorial debut The Way, Way Back. Production began on the comedy drama at the end of June in Marshfield, MA, with actors Steve Carell (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World), Toni Collette (United States of Tara), Sam Rockwell (Moon) and Liam James (AMC’s The Killing), among others. The film follows Duncan (James), an insecure teenager who strikes up an unexpected friendship with a water-park manager (Rockwell) while his mother Pam (Colette) struggles to maintain a relationship with her fickle boyfriend (Carell). Prior to their careers as screenwriters, Faxon and Rash were members of the famous comedy troupe The Groundlings and have starred in several film and television projects – Rash plays Dean Pelton in NBC’s Community and Faxon might be most known for his cameo appearance as Kip (the vampire/reunification of Germany TV show guy) in Jake Kasdan’s Orange County. Sycamore Pictures, The Walsh Company and Oddlot Entertainment (Gavin Hood’s Ender’s Game) are producing the film.
Longtime film and television writer-producer and mother of Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Naomi Foner (The Electric Company, Running on Empty) has begun filming her directorial debut Very Good Girls starring Dakota Fanning (The Runaways), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Boyd Holbrook (Milk), Demi Moore (Margin Call), Ellen Barkin (The Normal Heart), Richard Dreyfuss (Piranha), Clark Gregg (The Avengers) and Peter Sarsgaard (A Separation). The film focuses on two best friends (Fanning and Olsen) whose quest to lose their virginity threatens to destroy their friendship after they fall for the same boy (Holbrook). Very Good Girls is being produced and financed by Norton Herrick’s company Herrick Entertainment, which is responsible for such films as The Devil’s Double and Vanishing on 7th Street. Herrick’s company has also produced several Broadway plays including 2009’s Tony award-winning revival of Hair. Sideways producer Michael London’s Groundswell Productions is also producing. Principal photography commenced on July 16th in New York City.
