ANTON YELCHIN, ZOOEY DESCHANEL, JOHN HAWKES, CIARAN HINDS, AND ALIA SHAWKAT SIGN ON TO STAR IN
“THE DRIFTLESS AREA” FOR UNIFIED PICTURES AND BRON STUDIOS
Los Angeles, CA – April 23, 2014 – Unified Pictures and Bron Studios revealed today that Anton Yelchin (“Like Crazy,” “Only Lovers Left Alive,” “Star Trek”), three-time Golden Globe nominee Zooey Deschanel (“(500) Days of Summer,” “Elf,” “All the Real Girls”), Academy Award® nominee John Hawkes (“Sessions,” “Winter’s Bone,” “Lincoln”), Ciaran Hinds (“Munich,” “There Will Be Blood,” “Game of Thrones”) and Alia Shawkat (“Arrested Development,” “Cedar Rapids”) will star in the dark comedy “The Driftless Area.”
Adapted from award-winning author Tom Drury’s novel of the same title, “The Driftless Area” will be directed by Zachary Sluser, who co-wrote the screenplay with Drury.
The film is being produced by Keith Kjarval, through his Unified Pictures production/finance banner and Aaron L. Gilbert, via Bron Studios, in association with CW Media Finance. Nicole Romano at Anonymous Content manages Sluser and is Executive Producer on the film. International sales are being handled by Mimi Steinbauer’s Radiant Films, who will present the project to buyers at the Cannes Film Market in May. CAA, which packaged “Driftless Area,” represents the film’s domestic distribution rights.
“The Driftless Area” is an atmospheric dark comedy that centers on the enigmatic Stella (Zooey Deschanel) and Pierre (Anton Yelchin), a quietly resourceful bartender who returns to his hometown after the death of his parents. When Pierre falls in love with Stella, he is unwittingly drawn into a circle of fate pitting him against the volatile criminal Shane (John Hawkes).
Principal photography is scheduled to begin on May 14th in greater Vancouver.
“It is a great joy to be able to bring Tom Drury’s hauntingly beautiful story to life with such profoundly talented actors, all of whom have inspired me for years,” said Sluser.
Commented Kjarval, “We are quite excited about making this film as it is so darkly humorous and wrought with atmosphere and frankly, I am excited to be telling such a delicious story with some of my favorite actors.”
“Excited to see Bron and Unified team up again on what is a moving and comedic film, being brought to life by a dynamic young filmmaker Zachary Sluser,” said Gilbert.
Unified Pictures and Bron Studios most recently partnered on William H. Macy’s directorial debut “Rudderless,” (overseas rights also handled by Radiant Films International), which was just acquired by Paramount and Samuel Goldwyn Films for theatrical release. The film, which premiered to great acclaim at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, stars Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, Selena Gomez, Laurence Fishburne, and Felicity Huffman alongside Macy.
Unified’s latest film “Loitering with Intent,” starring Sam Rockwell, Marisa Tomei and Natasha Lyonne had its world premiering this past Friday night at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Bron Studios is currently in production in Massachusetts on the romantic comedy “Tumbledown,” starring Jason Sudeikis, Rebecca Hall, Dianna Agron, Blythe Danner, Griffin Dunne, Joe Manganiello and Richard Masur.
ABOUT UNIFIED PICTURES
Unified Pictures operates as an independent film production and distribution company dedicated to the development, financing, production and distribution of top-tier filmed entertainment. With several cutting-edge and artistically innovative films, Unified Pictures has established an impressive presence in a wide variety of film genres.
The company has completed seven films in the past two and a half years. Among these are William H. Macy’s directorial debut “Rudderless,” which closed this year’s Sundance Film Festival; “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete” (dir. George Tillman Jr., starring Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks), which opened the 2013 Sundance Film Festival; “A Single Shot” (dir. David Rosenthal, starring Sam Rockwell, William H. Macy, Jeffrey Wright), which premiered at the 2013 Berlin Film Festival; and “Trust Me” (dir. Clark Gregg, starring Gregg, Sam Rockwell, Amanda Peet, Molly Shannon, and William H. Macy) which had its world premiere at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.
For more information please visit www.unifiedpictures.com.
ABOUT BRON STUDIOS
Bron Studios is a British Columbia based producer of original live-action and animated motion pictures and series television. Bron co-produced the Sundance closing night film Rudderless, starring Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, Selena Gomez and Laurence Fishburne and directed by William H. Macy. Bron’s recent productions include: Welcome to Me, starring Kristen Wiig, Tim Robbins, Wes Bentley and James Marsden; Trust Me, starring Clark Gregg, Amanda Peet, Sam Rockwell, and Alison Janney, and A Single Shot, starring Sam Rockwell, Jeffrey Wright, Jason Isaacs, and William H. Macy. Bron is led by its Managing Director Aaron L. Gilbert, Executive Producer and/or Producer of recent films as Kill Me 3 Times, Son of a Gun, Miss Julie, Elsa & Fred, Ginger and Rosa, The English Teacher, Lullaby, and three Mighty Mighty Monsters holiday specials.
For more information please visit www.bronstudios.com
ABOUT RADIANT FILMS INTERNATIONAL
Founded by international sales veteran, Mimi Steinbauer, who is President and CEO, Radiant Films International, is an international sales company funded through private equity sources which acquires and distributes between 6-8 theatrical titles per year.
Radiant’s current slate includes MADAME BOVARY with Mia Wasikowska, Paul Giamatti and Ezra Miller; RUDDERLESS directed by William H. Macy and starring Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin and Selena Gomez which premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and will be released by Paramount later this year; the teen thriller TAKE DOWN to be directed by Jim Gillespie (I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER); HARRY AND THE BUTLER to star Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Caine; WILD starring Tom Hughes and Emma Greenwell; DECODING ANNE PARKER featuring Samantha Morton and Academy Award winning actress Helen Hunt coming to theatres on May 2nd through eOne; TRUST ME written/directed by and starring Clark Gregg to be released on May 6th on VOD ahead of a June 6th theatrical release via Starz Digital Media/Anchor Bay Entertainment; LULLABY starring Garrett Hedlund, Academy Award nominee Richard Jenkins and five-time Academy Award nominee Amy Adams to be released on June 13th via Arc Entertainment and RUN, BOY, RUN directed by Academy Award winning director Pepe Danquart which is nominated for two Lola Awards.
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