Naomi Watts & Odessa A’zion Join Sarah Paulson In Tense NYC Family Drama Set Against The World Of Broadway

With cameras already rolling in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on Cody Fern‘s directorial debut starring Sarah Paulson (Ryan Murphy‘s longtime muse), the untitled feature has landed two more actresses, with Naomi Watts (“Mulholland Drive”) and Odessa A’zion (“Marty Supreme”) taking parts in the tense family drama set within the backdrop of the world of Broadway in New York City.

The pair of additions to the call-sheet will also star alongside veteran Dianne Wiest (“I Care A Lot,” “The Lost Boys”) and on-the-rise Aussie actor Toby Wallace (“Babyteeth,” “The Bikerriders,” “The Royal Hotel”). Making the project one to keep an eye on as it heads to the European Film Market this month, which is taking place alongside the Berlin International Film Festival.

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A character breakdown and plot synopsis were also shared in the casting report from Deadline.

“Set against the backdrop of a Broadway production of Bertolt Brecht’s ‘Mother Courage,” the film centers on Sandra Vale (Paulson), a celebrated actress whose life begins to unravel on the eve of her greatest performance. When her sister April (Watts) arrives in New York after a 30-year estrangement, the stage is set for a tense family confrontation. Wiest plays vitriolic family matriarch Diane, while Wallace plays April’s son, Theo. A’zion will portray Lucy, a wilful rebel on the edge of a life-altering decision.”

Matilda Comers (“In Vitro”) and Will Howarth (“In Vitro”) of Fictitious are now set as producers alongside Nancy Grant (“Sentimental Value”) and Rosalie Chicoine Perreault (“Geographies of Solitude”). If you’re not aware, Fern (“American Horror Story”) is an actor turned director making their debut here, and co-wrote the script with fellow actor Devon Bostick (“Oppenheimer”). Seasoned cinematographer Yves Bélanger (“Big Little Lies,” “Dallas Buyers Club”) will also lens the movie.

International sales at EFM will be handled by mk2 Films (behind “Sentimental Value” and “The Secret Agent“) as the financing partners include Screen Australia and Telefilm Canada through the co-production treaty (we assume would also include tax incentives). Some of the current distribution deals are in place with Elevation Pictures in Canada, Icon in Australia, and Ad Vitam in France. Timothy White, Tanya Lapointe, Amanda Freedman, Lucile Vainstein, Raphael Quenard, and Patrick DesRosiers also serve as executive producers on the in-production project.

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This comes after Odessa A’zion backed out of the Sean Durkin California-set romantic flick “Deep Cuts.” After fans of the original novel pointed out that the character should be cast with an actress of Latin ancestry, leading to a public outcry for a recasting and her ultimate exit.