Production has begun on the next feature film from “A Real Pain” director Jesse Eisenberg, and A24 has already acquired the rights to distribute it.
Eisenberg’s film, which he wrote and will direct as his third feature, is still untitled but is an original comedy starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, with Eisenberg also taking on a role in the film. Additionally, joining the cast are Halle Bailey, Havana Rose Liu, Bernadette Peters, Bonnie Milligan, Colton Ryan, Lilli Cooper, and Maulik Pancholy.
The film follows a shy woman who is unexpectedly cast in a community theater musical production, going to extremes as she loses herself in the role.
In addition to starring in the film, Eisenberg wrote the original music and lyrics for the film’s musical alongside music supervisor Steven Gizicki (“A Complete Unknown,” “La La Land”) and executive music producer Bill Sherman (“In The Heights”), with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler (“Hamilton”) and cinematography by Drew Daniels (“Anora”).
Fruit Tree’s Emma Stone, Dave McCary, and Ali Herting will produce the untitled feature, with Topic Studios, which produced “A Real Pain,” serving as executive producers.
This project reunites Eisenberg with A24, which distributed his first feature “When You Finish Saving the World.” A24 has also partnered with Stone’s Fruit Tree on “I Saw the TV Glow” and “The Curse.” Topic Studios is also co-financing with A24 David Lowery’s next film “Mother Mary” starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel, and “Peaked” starring and directed by Molly Gordon.
Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain” was released by Searchlight Pictures last year and won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Kieran Culkin while also netting Eisenberg a Best Original Screenplay nomination.
CAA Media Finance, WME Independent, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole and Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis Ryan LLP negotiated the deal.
