For a newcomer on the scene, David Lowery has it pretty damn good. "Ain't Them Bodies Saints," his directorial debut developed in the Sundance Labs, was announced earlier this year, but was said to still be seeking financing. But lo and behold, things have worked out smashingly, as its currently in front of cameras and has now added vet Keith Carradine and youngster Nate Parker to the highly promising cast which already includes Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck and Ben Foster.
The film sees Affleck playing a convict who escapes prison and sets off across Texas as he lookes to unite with his wife and a daughter he has never seen. Mara is presumably playing the wife with the duo and their story excitingly described as a "Bonnie & Clyde"-esque tale. No word on what exact roles Foster, Carradine or Parker are playing but, as Affleck's character apparently "sees the past starting to catch up to him," we imagine the quality trio would have something to do with that. Oh, and it's all set in the '70s as well just to make the whole thing a little more intriguing.
Lowery has already impressed with his short film "Pioneer" which was on the festival scene last year and took home a Grand Jury prize at SXSW. The fact Lowery and the project earned entrance into the Sundance Labs is a good sign — Sean Durkin of "Martha Marcy May Marlene" is one of the most successful graduates of recent time with some of the creative advisors there including Gregg Araki, Andrea Arnold, Scott Z. Burns, Mark Boal, John Cameron Mitchell, Ed Harris, and, of course, Robert Redford. We presume the goal is for the film to hit Park City next January. [Deadline/Shadow&Act]