Sandra Hüller, the Oscar-nominated actor of “Anatomy of a Fall,” and four-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gate”) are set to co-star in Kent Jones’ “Late Fame,” reteaming “May December” co-screenwriter Samy Burch and producer Killer Films.
One of the hottest packages set for a Cannes Launch, “Late Fame” has been boarded by MK2 Films which is hot off an Oscar win for “Anatomy of a Fall” and will represent worldwide sales outside of North America. WME Independent, UTA Independent Film Group and Cinetic Media will co-represent North American rights. Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon will serve as producers for Killer Films (“Past Lives,” “May December”). The film will start shooting in NYC in the fall.
“Late Fame” “tells the story of Ed Saxberger (Dafoe), who wrote a book of poetry a long time ago that no one ever cared about. When a group of young artists rediscover his work, he must reassess his genius. The wild card in the group is Gloria (Hüller), a talented and mercurial theatre actress who toys with affections and who is all set to be admired by Saxberger, this legendary figure from a gritty New York golden age,” reads the synopsis, which describes the film as “wickedly ironic and unexpectedly poignant.” The film explores the “illusory effect of praise on the soul, and the lingering ghostly presence of the past, whether it’s imagined or vividly remembered.”
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Jones made his feature film debut with the award-winning “Diane,” starring Mary Kay Place and Jake Lacy. His previous work includes the documentary “Hitchcock/Truffaut,” which premiered at Cannes in 2015 and the Peabody Award-winning “A Letter to Elia,” co-directed with Martin Scorsese, with whom he has collaborated frequently over the years. He is currently working with Scorsese on the series “Saints,” and on an upcoming adaptation of Shusaku Endo’s “A Life of Jesus.”
“Killer Films is honored to be re-teaming with Samy on her next screenplay. Her voice is original, her screenwriting is deeply thematic and she keeps you off balance in the most satisfying and surprising way,” said the company in a statement. “Out of the gate we talked about Kent Jones to direct. We both loved ‘Diane,’ and know he will execute the story with his observant, detailed naturalism shot through with humor and feeling.”
Hüller shone during this year’s awards season with a pair of towering performances in Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” and Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” for which she won a flurry of laurels, including France’s Cesar Award. Both movies won prizes at last year’s Cannes, with “Anatomy of a Fall” grabbing the coveted Palme d’Or and “The Zone of Interest” winning the Grand Prize of the Jury, as well as the best international feature film at the Oscars.
