‘Borat’ Breakout Maria Bakalova To Star In Thriller ‘Electra’; Filming Underway In Italy For Director Hala Matar

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova (Borat 2) has been set to star with Daryl Wein (Something From Tiffany’s), Jack Farthing (Poldark), and Abigail Cowen (Fate: The Winx) in under-the-radar drama-thriller Electra, which has begun production in Italy.

Hala Matar is making her feature directorial debut on the project, which will follow a journalist who travels to Rome to interview a famous musician, only for the trip to end in deceit, betrayal, and murder.

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Wein will play Dylan, the journalist. Cowen is Lucy, the journalist’s photographer and partner. Jack Farthing plays Milo, the musician, and Bakalova will be Francesca, a performance artist and Milo’s girlfriend.

Pic is written by Wein, Matar and Paul Sado; produced by Wein, Matar, Yale Entertainment’s Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman, and Ring Film’s Tomasso Bertani and Luca Cottafavi, and executive-produced by Elsa Ramo, Tiffany Boyle and Nicholas Donnermeyer.

CAA is repping domestic rights; Great Escape is repping international rights.

Bahraini filmmaker Matar has directed short films and music videos for Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, and Kenzo, starring Kristen Stewart, Chloe Sevigny, Johnny Knoxville, and Suki Waterhouse, among others.

“I am thrilled to be making my first feature film in one of the most beautiful countries in the world with this incredibly talented team of people,” said Matar.

Bulgarian actress Bakalova recently starred in A24 comedy-thriller Bodies Bodies Bodies and booked a supporting role in the next Guardians Of The Galaxy movie. Actor-director Wein recently directed Amazon rom-com Something From Tiffany’s, starring Zoey Deutch.

Matar is represented by CAA and Rain; Wein is represented by CAA, Rain, and attorney Kim Jaime at Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer; Bakalova is represented by CAA, Insight Management and Production in the U.K., and Brookside Artists Management; Farthing is represented by Anonymous Content and Independent Talent Group; and Cowen is represented by UTA and Mosaic.

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