Al Pacino, Jeremy Renner, Julianne Moore topline Mister Smith’s Imagine

David Garrett’s Mister Smith Entertainment will be selling hot new comedy-drama Imagine at the AFM.

Crazy, Stupid, Love and Tangled writer Dan Fogelman has written and will make his directorial debut on the comedy-drama about an ageing rocker who reconnects with his son and his music.

Denise DiNovi, Jessie Nelson and Nimitt Mankad will produce, Shivani Rawat is executive producer. 

Originally sold to Warner Brothers, the film is now being independently financed by Inimitable Pictures’ Nimitt Mankad and Shivani Rawat through a film fund backed by Manoj Bhargava, the founder of 5 Hour Energy. Principal photography will commence late April/early May 2013. WME is handling the US sale.

Dan Fogelman said: “Every writer has “that one project” … the one they feel so strongly about that they can’t bear to turn it over to anyone else.  For me, that project is “Imagine.””

Denise DiNovi said of Dan Fogelman: “Working with Dan on Crazy, Stupid, Love, he proved to be not only a brilliant writer with one of the most personal and unique voices in Hollywood today, but also he was an integral member of the team. He was on the set everyday and I saw he had the qualities to be an equally great director. I am thrilled to be producing his directorial debut alongside Jessie Nelson.”

David Garrett added: “I am thrilled to be working with Nimitt and Shivani in their new financing venture. As for the film itself, one could not hope for a more perfect project. The screenplay is impeccable, which leaves one in no doubt about Dan Fogelman’s directorial vision. The producing team is second to none, and the cast is of a caliber one can only dream”.