Sidney Kimmel Entertainment is financing and presenting the feature comedy Cloudburst, which is set to star Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker.

Thom Fitzgerald wrote and will direct. He will also produce with Doug Pettigrew, while William Jarblum serves as executive producer.

The road trip comedy will start shooting in July in Nova Scotia, SKE President Jim Tauber said.

The story follows two women who have been lovers for 30 years but have to “break out” of a nursing facility to get married in Canada. They pick up a young male hitchhiker who sidetracks them.

Tauber said: “This story couldn’t be more timely; it has the heart and soul of an enduring romance and the comedic insights of current events. In view of the successes of recent comedy/dramas starring elite, veteran talent, we believe the audience is out there for this picture. Olympia and Brenda will make these amazing women in Thom’s script come to full life.”

SKE is also working on current projects including Phillip Noyce’s Mixed Blood starring Samuel Jackson and Jon Amiel’s Old Timers.

Fitzgerald most recently produced and directed The Gospel According To The Blues and his past credits include 3 Needles and The Hanging Garden.

Fitzgerald is represented by Vicki McCarty at Covington International and in Canada by Charlotte Rose at Green Light Artist Management. Dukakis is represented by Gene Parseghian at Parseghian/Planco Management and Scott Henderson at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment. Fricker is represented by IFA Talent Agency and Cassie Mayer LTD