Black Bear and Artists Equity are partnering on drama feature A Woman In The Sun, with Renée Zellweger, Sissy Spacek and Mia Threapleton to star for writer-director Julia Cox.
Black Bear will introduce the project to international buyers this week at Cannes and will distribute in North America, the UK and, via Elevation Pictures, Canada. Black Bear and Artists Equity are co-financing.
The multi-generational story follows a month in the life of a bartender on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket whose life cracks open when her mother gets sick and her daughter moves home.
Zellweger and Carmella Casinelli will produce the film, for Big Picture Co, along with Kim Roth. Greg Gertmenian is co-producing. Production is slated to begin in September.
Cox previously wrote and executive produced Black Bear’s Nyad, which brought Oscar nominations for Annette Bening and Jodie Foster.
Threapleton previously appeared in The Phoenician Scheme and is currently shooting an untitled feature written and directed by Damien Chazelle.
Artists Equity CEO Ben Affleck commented: “Julia has proven herself as a writer, and I’m certain A Woman In The Sun will show the film world she’s equally gifted in the director’s chair. This is a moving, gripping exploration of a complex family dynamic with something lurking beneath the surface. And behind the scenes, we’ve got a tremendous partner in Black Bear. For us, this is about finding meaningful ways to invest in filmmakers at every stage of their journey, and projects like this are exactly the kind of work we want to be a part of. We’re looking forward to bringing this film to life.”
Black Bear CEO Teddy Schwarzman said: “As soon as I met Julia, I knew she was destined to be an incredible director, and working with her closely on Nyad only strengthened my belief in her as an artist and leader. With A Woman In The Sun, she has created that perfect vehicle to transition from acclaimed writer to world-caliber director. The story is both singular and universal, and Julia will no doubt capture unforgettably rich performances from Renée, Sissy and Mia. Black Bear is honoured to back this powerful film alongside our good friends at Artists Equity, and we can’t wait to share it with audiences soon.”
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