Elisabeth Moss, Kate Hudson, Kaia Gerber Set To Star In Thriller "Shell"
- Details
- Category: Entertainment News
- Published on Thursday, 04 May 2023 13:52
- Written by A&E Contributing Editor
Emmy-winner Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man, Us, "The Handmaid's Tale") will star alongside Academy Award®-nominee Kate Hudson (Glass Onion, Almost Famous) and Kaia Gerber (Babylon, Bottoms) in the sexy, psychological thriller Shell, from director Max Minghella (Teen Spirit).
The film is set in a near future when humanity's cultural obsession with youth and beauty has been taken to new extremes. Black Bear International will be introducing the project to international buyers in Cannes and distributing directly in the UK and Ireland. CAA Media Finance and WME Independent are co-repping the domestic rights.
Natasha Henstridge Joins Lukas Hassel, Lin Shaye in Lisa Belcher's House of Abraham
The film is being produced by Automatik's Fred Berger (La La Land, The Autopsy of Jane Doe) and Brian Kavanaugh Jones (Insidious, Sinister), alongside Max Minghella for Blank Tape (Teen Spirit), Elisabeth Moss and Lindsey McManus for Love & Squalor Pictures ("Shining Girls") and Alicia Van Couvering (Cop Car), from a script penned by Jack Stanley (Lou). Jamie Bell will Executive Produce.
In Shell, struggling actress Samantha (Elisabeth Moss) is given an opportunity to get a free trial at Shell, a pioneering health and beauty company which promises to keep its clients looking young forever. Samantha's life and career is transformed by the treatment, and she develops a burgeoning friendship with Shell's CEO, the ultra-glamorous Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson). When a string of former Shell patients go missing under mysterious circumstances, including popular social media star Chloe Benson (Kaia Gerber), Samantha starts to fear she may be in danger herself.
Minghella said: "Shell packs a wildly entertaining genre movie with iconic characters and universal themes that are bound to have people talking long after they leave the theater. I'm so thrilled to be bringing it to life with this extraordinary cast and the incredible support of Black Bear International, Love & Squalor and Automatik".
Alan Ritchson To Lead Timur Bekmambetov’s Action Thriller from Stampede Ventures
Moss said: "This is one of the most unique, entertaining and special scripts I've ever read and I am so honored to be a part of it as an actor and flattered that Max came to me with this character, who's unlike anyone I've ever played before. Having worked with Max for years on 'The Handmaid's Tale, I'm so thrilled to now be directed by him as I'm a huge fan of his as a filmmaker. We at Love & Squalor are also excited to be working alongside Automatik and Black Bear, two companies we very much admire."
Emmy-nominee Max Minghella has established himself as a prolific talent both behind and in front of the camera. Minghella's directorial debut, Teen Spirit starring Elle Fanning, Zlatko Buric and Rebecca Hall, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and SXSW before releasing in theaters April 2019.
Emmy and Golden Globe-winner Elisabeth Moss has emerged as a star of the thriller genre after her acclaimed performances in The Invisible Man and Us, as well as an industry-leading producer with credits including "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Shining Girls". She is currently in production on the Steven Knight/FX limited series "The Veil," on which she is also producer, and will next star opposite Michael Fassbender in the Taika Waititi film Next Goal Wins. Later this year she will begin production on the sixth and final season of the Emmy-winning series "The Handmaid's Tale" on which she stars, directs and executive produces.
Poppy Delevingne To Star in "The Gun On Second Street" For Director Rohit Karn Batra
Joining Moss is Kate Hudson, one of Hollywood's most globally recognizable faces. Her career began with an iconic, Oscar-nominated breakout performance in Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous and she recently delivered a scene-stealing performance in Netflix's smash global hit Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery from Rian Johnson. The cast is rounded out by globally renowned supermodel and actress Kaia Gerber, who recently appeared in Damien Chazelle's Babylon and whose upcoming credits include Emma Seligman's SXSW breakout, Bottoms and Apple TV+ series "Palm Royale" alongside Kristen Wiig and Laura Dern.
Black Bear International's Cannes slate includes romantic epic On Swift Horses starring Daisy Edgar Jones, Jacob Elordi and Will Poulter, and Timur Bekmambetov's Motor City. Shell marks the third collaboration this year from Black Bear International and Automatik, after the successful launches of Longlegs starring Nicolas Cage and Fred & Ginger starring Margaret Qualley and Jamie Bell, which both sold out at the Berlin market.
The deal was negotiated on behalf of Black Bear International by Jill Silfen.
About Automatik
Automatik, led by Fred Berger and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, is one of the most prolific film and television production companies in the industry, producing over 70 films and television shows over the last 8 years – from award-winning projects to commercial franchises.
Berger received an Academy Award® nomination and won Golden Globe, BAFTA, PGA, and NY Film Critics Circle awards for La La Land, which grossed nearly half a billion dollars worldwide and received a record number of Academy Award® nominations. Berger and Kavanaugh-Jones won an Emmy for Bad Education, which secured a record-breaking deal from HBO Films.
Berger and Kavanaugh-Jones have worked with a wide array of premiere filmmakers including Damien Chazelle (La La Land), Alma Har'el (Honey Boy), Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter), James Wan (Insidious, Sinister), Karyn Kusama (Destroyer), Leigh Whannell (The Upgrade), Nia DeCosta (Little Woods), Cory Finley (Bad Education), and Michael Pearce (Encounter).
Automatik is currently in post-production on Jeff Nichols' The Bikeriders starring Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, and Austin Butler for New Regency as well as Osgood Perkins' horror-thriller Longlegs starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe; in pre-production on James Mangold's Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown starring Timothee Chalamet for Searchlight and Jonathan Entwistle's Fred & Ginger starring Margaret Qualley and Jamie Bell; and recently saw the release of the format-bending heist series "Kaleidoscope" on Netflix.
About Blank Tape
Blank Tape is a Los Angeles based production company. Previous credits include Miramax's The 9th Life of Louis Drax directed by Alexandre Aja and pop musical "Teen Spirit" starring Elle Fanning, Zlatko Buric and Rebecca Hall. Blank Tape will next produce the musical biopic 'Fred & Ginger' starring Margaret Qualley and Jamie Bell.
About Love & Squalor Pictures
Love & Squalor is a film, television and theater production company founded in 2020 by Emmy and Golden Globe winner Elisabeth Moss and her producing partner, Lindsey McManus. Since its inception, the company has held a joint first-look deal with 20th Television and Hulu. In 2021, Love & Squalor produced its first television series, "Shining Girls," for Apple TV+ in which Moss starred and directed. The company also executive produced writer/director Blerta Bersholi's 2021 Academy Award short-listed foreign film, HIVE, the first ever shortlisted title for Kosovo. Love & Squalor is currently in production on their second television series, "The Veil," written by Steven Knight for FX.
Janet Walker, Screenwriter and Publisher of Haute-Lifestyle.com, Featured in New York Weekly
About Black Bear International
Black Bear International is one of the world's leading international sales and distribution companies, focused on creating and acquiring premium content for a global audience while offering filmmakers, producers and financiers an unparalleled destination for creative collaboration. Based out of London, the company also distributes its films theatrically in the UK and Ireland through Black Bear UK.
Black Bear International's upcoming slate includes: Craig Gillespie's Dumb Money starring Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Sebastian Stan, Pete Davidson and Shailene Woodley; Sydney Sweeney's religious horror, Immaculate; Guy Ritchie's war epic The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare starring Henry Cavill and Eiza González; David Mackenzie's Relay starring Riz Ahmed and Lily James; Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe thriller Longlegs from Osgood Perkins, and event musical Fred & Ginger starring Margaret Qualley and Jamie Bell. Black Bear International is a subsidiary of Teddy Schwarzman's Black Bear Pictures. Black Bear also owns Elevation Pictures, the leading independent film distributor in Canada.
