Sam Rockwell, Kumail Nanjiani To Star In Dark Comedy ‘A Guy Walks Into A Bar’
EXCLUSIVE: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick) have closed deals to star in A Guy Walks Into a Bar, a dark comedy from director Gary Fleder (Runaway Jury) that has secured an Interim Agreement from SAG-AFTRA and will go into production by year’s end.
Written by Scott Rosenberg (Jumanji: The Next Level, Venom), the film to be shot in New Jersey watches as a mild-mannered new father (Nanjiani) befriends a charismatic yet mysterious man (Rockwell) at a bar, and soon suspects him of concealing a troubling secret.
More from Deadline
The project marks a reteam for Fleder and Rosenberg, who previously collaborated on their debut feature, the dark comedy Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead. Fleder, Rosenberg, and Rockwell are also producing with Mark Fasano of Nickel City Pictures, Nadine de Barros of Fortitude International, and Jina Panebianco of Caliwood Pictures. Nanjiani will exec produce alongside Erica Steinberg and Nickel City’s Matthew Goldberg. Caliwood’s R. Wesley Sierk, III and John D. Straley are also executive producing, as well as Joseph Panebianco, with Fortitude International handling international sales.
Most recently seen starring opposite Saoirse Ronan in Searchlight’s mystery See How They Run, Rockwell will next be seen as part of the A-list ensemble of Matthew Vaughn’s Apple spy pic Argylle, which hits theaters via Universal February 2, 2024 and will come to Apple TV+ at a date that has not yet been determined.
Recently landing an Emmy nomination as the star of Hulu’s true crime series Welcome to Chippendales, Nanjiani is currently in post on the next Ghostbusters film from Columbia Pictures. He’s also been set to star opposite Mandy Moore in Screen Gems, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster’s Thread: An Insidious Tale, a new film in the Insidious horror universe.
Other past films from Fleder on the directing front include the Jason Statham action thriller Homefront, sports drama The Express with Dennis Quaid, the crime drama Runaway Jury starring John Cusack, Rachel Weisz and Gene Hackman, and Kiss the Girls with Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd, to name a few. He’s also directed on series like Tiny Pretty Things, Kingdom and The Shield, having additionally exec produced the former.
Rockwell is represented by Gersh and Untitled Entertainment; Nanjiani by UTA, Mosaic and Schreck Rose Dapello; Fleder by Independent Artist Group and Brecheen Feldman Breimer; and Rosenberg by WME and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
Best of Deadline
SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreements: Full List Of Movies And TV Series
2023 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
