Shailene Woodley (“Big Little Lies”) is set to headline “A Beautiful Journey,” an English-language comedy-drama feature from French writer-director Nathalie Marchak (“Out of Instinct”).
“A Beautiful Journey” is being produced by Anonymous Federation, a joint venture between Anonymous Content and Federation Studios, and Gabman, the company founded by Valerie Garcia, who previously co-headed one of France’s leading distribution shingles, Mars Films.
Rosalie Cimino, a former top agent at Paris-based firm UBBA, will produce on behalf of Anonymous Federation, while Garcia will produce on behalf of Gabman. Principal photography will begin in the fall.
Woodley will play Mary, an ex-swimming champion who now works as a mermaid at the New York Aquarium, struggling to raise her 7-year-old son, Lulu, on her own. When they get evicted, to protect him, she pretends they are about to embark on a beautiful journey. But in doing so, she’s beginning to lose — and eventually find — herself. Cimino described the project as a “‘Life is Beautiful’ meets ‘Captain Fantastic.’” Garcia pointed out the movie will have an uplifting dimension, revolving on the strong bond between a mother and her son.
Marchak penned the script for “A Beautiful Journey” with the support of a writing scholarship from Sundance. The script was included on the Inaugural Cannes Screenplay List, an initiative highlighting outstanding feature scripts by women and non-binary storytellers.
“Working with Shailene Woodley is a dream,” said Marchak, whose first feature film, “Out of Instinct,” was released theatrically in 2017. “She is a truly cinematic force — her fearless honesty and radiant depth will light up the screen as she leads us through Mary’s tender, turbulent, and ultimately transformative journey.”
Cimino and Garcia said, “We are thrilled to embark on this exciting film with our visionary director, Nathalie Marchak. And today, we are tremendously proud to have the incredibly talented Shailene Woodley embody the lead role of Mary. Her immense talent will illuminate our film and will bring Nathalie’s vision to life. Moreover, her dedication and artistry will elevate our story and resonate deeply with our audience.”
Cimino said “the script touched Woodley intimately and she loved it.” The pair also noted that the actor had already delivered a breakthrough performance as a young mother in “Big Little Lies” which earned her an Emmy nomination. “We didn’t want to talk to her about her role in ‘Big Little Lies,’ but it’s her manager who said: ‘Shailene has already played the role of a mother and she’s fan of the script, she wants to meet you, she wants to meet Nathalie!”
The producer said she and Garcia are currently at Cannes and working on raising the financing for the movie and are aiming to start filming in the fall. The movie will shoot mainly in Europe, addition to a few days in New York for the outdoors scenes, Garcia said.
“A Beautiful Journey” will mark Woodley’s first time working on a French project. Woodley had her first major role in 2008 with “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and later starred in “The Descendants,” the “Divergent” franchise and “The Fault in Our Stars.” The actress is also a noted environmentalist and political activist who made headlines in 2016 for her arrest while protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline.
On getting Woodley on board for the movie, Cimino said her long-standing relationships with managers and agents have helped, but above all, it comes down to the “very good script.” “Once a good script starts circulating in an agency or management company, actors want good scripts. They want good stories, they want roles they can defend,” she said.
Marchak, who holds an LL.M from Harvard Law School and a filmmaking certificate from New York University, previously penned and directed the TV series “Les Siffleurs” and serves as VP of the French Guild of Authors, Directors and Producers (ARP). Additional key cast and the international sales agent will be announced in the coming days.
Woodley is represented by CAA and Range Media Partners. Marchak is represented by Time Art (France) and Paradigm (U.S.).
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