Film News Roundup: Chrissy Metz to Star in Faith-Based Movie ‘The Impossible’
In today’s film news roundup, Chrissy Metz gets a feature gig, “Los Angeles Overnight” gets a release date, and TriCoast starts an art-house label.
CASTING
“This Is Us” star Chrissy Metz will portray the lead in Fox 2000’s faith-based movie “The Impossible,” set up with “Miracles From Heaven” producer DeVon Franklin.
Roxann Dawson is directing from a script by Grant Nieporte, based on Joyce Smith’s book “The Impossible: The Miraculous Story of a Mother’s Faith and Her Child’s Resurrection.” Smith wrote the book about her 14-year-old son coming back to life through her prayer and faith — even though his heart had stopped after he fell through a frozen lake in Missouri.
Marisa Paiva will oversee production for the studio. Filming is expected to begin in March in Winnipeg.
Metz received a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Kate Pearson in NBC’s “This Is Us.” She’s repped by CAA and Luber Roklin Entertainment. The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
DISTRIBUTION ANNOUNCEMENT
Arena Cinelounge is moving into distribution for Michael Chrisoulakis’ noir-style feature film “Los Angeles Overnight,” with a limited national release on March 9, Variety has learned exclusively.
Arielle Brachfeld stars as a struggling actress who inherits a bevy of colorful villains after desperation drives her and her gullible boyfriend, played by Azim Rizk, to steal big from the Los Angeles underworld. Peter Bogdanovich, Sally Kirkland, and Lin Shaye are also in the cast.
“Los Angeles Overnight” will receive a digital release through Freestyle Digital Media on March 20.
Chrisoulakis, whose credits include “Interchange” and “Death in the Garden,” hails from Tasmania. He produced and directed from a script by Guy J. Jackson, who produced as well. Additional producers are Camilla Jackson with Kate Rees Davies and Kimmie Yan.
The deal was negotiated by Christian Meoli, CEO of Arena Cinelounge, with Chrisoulakis and Jackson on behalf of High Noon Films. Dan Fisher negotiated on behalf of Freestyle Digital Media.
DISTRIBUTION LABEL
TriCoast Media is launching Rock Salt as an art house distribution label, which has acquired the Danish film “A Second Chance,” starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Variety has learned exclusively.
Rock Salt has also acquired sales rights to “Rotterdam I Love You,” the latest installment in the international “I Love You” series.
“At TriCoast, we’re creating a brand exclusively for evocative films,” TriCoast’s Daisy Hamilton said. “Those that speak to the psyche and leave a special kind of residue on the viewer, the kind that must be processed, discussed, debated, or dreamed about. Most of us have experienced content like this before, but it’s usually the exception, not the norm. I’d rather curate stories that are truly worthy of a viewer’s emotional, intellectual, and financial investment.”
Hamilton will share curatorial direction with Dean Fernando, a manager of CineFile Video.
Production for “Rotterdam, I Love You” begins in May and will showcase 11 vignettes from directors including Claire Denis, Mike Figgis, Atom Egoyan, and Pablo Trapero. The cast will be announced in February in Berlin at the European Film Market.
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