Mckenna Grace To Star In & EP New Psychological Thriller ‘Straight Lies’ From Mandalay Pictures

Rosy Cordero
·2 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Emmy nominee Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters, Handmaid’s Tale) will star in and executive produce the new psychological thriller Straight Lies with Alex Kalymnios set to direct and Mandalay Pictures to produce. Production is slated to begin this summer in North Carolina.

The film is set in 1990 surrounding the hysteria of the war on drugs. Written by Ren Trella and inspired by true events from her life as a teenager, the script was a semi-finalist in the prestigious Academy Nicholl Fellowship in screenwriting.

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In Straight Lies, a teen girl falsely accused of drug use is held against her will and must escape a cult-like drug rehab that is backed by the US Government, while her covert CIA agent father becomes so lost in political influence that he is unaware of the danger his daughter is in.

“I am so honored to bring this compelling story to the screen. After speaking with our amazing writer Ren and hearing her true story of what she endured and based the script, I knew this was going to be a heartbreaking, but necessary project to make,” Grace said in a statement to Deadline.

“I am so honored to be directing this haunting and compelling story inspired by true events and I’m thrilled Mckenna Grace will be leading us through this shocking and emotional nightmare of one girl’s fight to survive STRAIGHT,” said director Kalymnios.

Mandalay Pictures and Valor Media Group are producing. David Zelon will produce for Mandalay. Mandalay’s latest movie Air starred Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Zelon recently produced Big George Foreman for Sony Pictures. Grace executive produces. Financing is provided by Unity Entertainment and Princess Gates Entertainment.

With breakout performances in Marc Webb’s feature Gifted opposite Chris Evans, and Amazon’s Troop Zero alongside Viola Davis, Grace has amassed a variety of credits including the Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale, in which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.

She will next be seen on March 22 as one of the leads in Sony’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire alongside Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon and Finn Wolfhard, and directed by Jason Reitman. Additional film credits include I, Tonya, Malignant, Captain Marvel, Anabelle Comes Home, Amityville: The Awakening and Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House.

She is represented by CAA, Entertainment 360 and Stewart Brookman.

Kalymnios is an established director working both in the UK and the USA with recent credits including The Recruit starring Noah Centineo for Netflix and Three Families for the BBC and the BAFTA-nominated Becoming Human. She has directed episodes of Titans, Impulse, S.W.A.T., Timeless, The White Princess and The 100.

She is represented by CAA and Artists First.

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