Crime, California and some unsavory characters? Yep, Nick Cassavetes has been there, done that before, with "Alpha Dog" and the director is going to get gritty once again in the Golden State.
Cassavetes has signed on to direct "Cali," the action flick announced last week that will be co-produced by and star Kristen Stewart. Penned by Michael Diliberti ("30 Minutes or Less"), the story finds Stewart playing Mya, who pairs up with her boyfriend Chris to make a fake snuff film which they sell for a wad of cash before beating it out of the San Fernando Valley. Years later, she's forced to head back to save her younger sister, but to do so she will have to face "angry former business partners, homicidal porn stars, stoner vet techs, an unstoppable killing machine in a cowboy hat" as well as keep a handle on her relationship with Chris.
So yeah, this could either be wild and ridiculous, or a well-honed little genre piece, but the hire of Cassavetes doesn't inspire much confidence. His choices are…eclectic…to say the least, ranging from "The Notebook" (his biggest success) to the message movie "John Q" to the aforementioned "Alpha Dog" to stuff like "My Sister's Sister." Yet through all of it, he hasn't had much of a directorial stamp. So we'll see how this works out, and we suppose an intriguing cast could elevate this. Production is aiming for a late summer start. [Variety]