Dustin Hoffman has signed on to star in a currently untitled Peter Greenaway movie alongside Helen Hunt (As Good As It Gets) and Sofia Boutella (Kingsman).
Principal photography has commenced on location in Lucca, Italy. Greenaway directs from his own screenplay. The current synopsis reads: The story of an intelligent man whose final big adventure is intended to be his death. He wants to make it elegant and sensible. Tidy, with as few loose ends as possible.
The film’s cast is rounded out by Giacomo Gianniotti (Grey’s Anatomy), Jonno Davies (Kingsman: The Secret Service), and Laura Morante (Cherry On The Cake). The film is a Facing East Production and a Facing East presentation with Jumpy Cow Pictures. Executive Producers are Enrique Drescher, Daniel Fluri, Andres Kernen, Adrian Grabe, Saskia Boddeke, Ada Bonvini, Ivano Fucci and Marc Jacobson.
“The theme of this film is highly relevant and topical in these times, where the end-of-life topic is headline news on a daily basis. As such, I am very excited to be working with such an array of extraordinary actors and crew and personal collaborators to bring this particular story to the big screen,” said Greenaway.
“With ironic provocation, the film is prepared to seriously ask if death is necessary, and if it is, should we not be available to decide where and when? And even how? If we truly are going to die, shouldn’t we be involved in the decision-making?”
Greenaway originally trained as a painter and began working as a film editor for the Central Office of Information in 1965. Shortly afterwards he started to make his own films. His most recent credit is the 2015 drama Eisenstein in Guanajuato. Screen legend Hoffman can next be seen in Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis opposite Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, and Jon Voight.
Hunt has picked up multiple Academy, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations across her decades-long career. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for As Good as It Gets and is a four-time Emmy winner for her role in the hit TV show Mad About You. Boutella is an Algerian actress who started her career as a dancer, performing on tour with prominent artists including Madonna and Rihanna. Her big screen credits include The Mummy and Kingsman: The Secret Service. She will next be seen in Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, which will be released on Netflix on April 19.
Dustin Hoffman is represented by Tavistock Wood Management and WME; Helen Hunt by United Talent Agency; Sofia Boutella by Agence Adequat and CAA; Giacomo Gianniotti by Do MGMT, The Gersh Agency, Thruline Entertainment, Characters Talent Agency, and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Feldman, Royal, Shikora & Clark; Jonno Davies by Denton Brierly, ColorCreative, Gersh and GGSSC; Laura Morante by Alsira Garcia-Maroto Talent Agency and UBBA.
Markus Barmettler and Philip Lee are represented by Marc Jacobson Law.