Laura Dern, Noah Jupe, Benedict Cumberbatch to Star in Futuristic Drama ‘Morning’
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Laura Dern, Noah Jupe and Benedict Cumberbatch will star together in a futuristic drama called “Morning” from Australian director Justin Kurzel (“Macbeth,” “Assassin’s Creed”).
Dern and Jupe star in “Morning” as a mother and son living in a world in which a pill does away the need for sleep and an artificial sun makes it so that there’s no end to the morning daylight of living and work. Cumberbatch also stars in a supporting role. Here’s the full synopsis:
Ambitious and driven Cathy (Dern) was an early advocate of a sleepless world, but as she and her son Danny (Jupe) pick up the pieces of their lives following the death of her husband Frank (Cumberbatch), she finds the universe she helped to build is starting to crumble around her, whilst memories she fought so hard to repress are bleeding into her waking life. As Danny is further drawn into a subversive underworld of dreamers, Cathy must confront her nightmares and fight hard not to lose her son.
Sam Steiner wrote the screenplay.
HanWay Films will handle international sales and distribution and will present the film to buyers at the European Film Market. CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group are co-representing the U.S. sale.
Cumberbatch’s SunnyMarch is producing the film, with SunnyMarch head of film Leah Clarke producing alongside Adam Ackland, while Cumberbatch will executive produce alongside Laura Dern and Jayme Lemons through their company Jaywalker Pictures. Marnie Podos will also executive produce.
“Morning” will reunite Kurzel with several of his previous collaborators including cinematographer Adam Arkapaw and costume designer Alice Babidge.
“’Morning’ is a joyful, reflective, and defiant story about a reality not so far from our own where a preoccupation with productivity has destroyed our ability to connect, grieve and love. We cannot wait to see this incredibly talented cast and creative team headed by Justin, Laura and Noah bring Sam’s brilliantly original script to life,” Ackland said in a statement.
“‘Morning’ asks so many questions of us as people with ambitions, hopes, emotions and dreams, and it is fascinating to debate what sleep means to our very existence and our souls. What would we be like if we had never dreamt? It also contains the spirit of youth rebelling against the choices of their parents. ‘Morning’ provokes, moves, entices… and it has an amazing team behind it,” HanWay Films MD Gabrielle Stewart said in a statement.
Kurzel’s most recent feature film “Nitram” was nominated for the Palme d’Or and won lead actor Caleb Landry Jones the Best Actor award at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. In addition to “Morning,” Steiner’s current projects include the horror film “Banquet,” to be directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia.
Dern and Kurzel are represented by CAA and Jupe is represented by CAA, Grandview and The Artist Partnership. Cumberbatch and SunnyMarch are represented by UTA. Steiner is represented by Under New Mgmt and CAA.
