How’s this for an epic cast list? Karim Aïnouz‘s “Rosebush Pruning” had enough hype surrounding it already: Elle Fanning as the star; Efthimis Filippou penning a script that adapts the 1965 classic “Fists In The Pocket“; MUBI, The Match Factory, and Fremantle‘s The Apartment footing the bill. But the ensemble Aïnouz cast around Fanning now makes his follow-up to “Motel Destino” one of next year’s most anticipated films. Read on a for the full casting news.
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Callum Turner co-stars with Fanning in the upcoming film, a modern take on Marco Bellocchio‘s dark satire about social class and family values. But there’s more: Riley Keough, Jamie Bell, Lukas Gage, Tracy Letts, Elena Anaya, and Pamela Anderson round out the movie’s main ensemble. That’s quite a who’s who of buzzy Hollywood names, and more than makes up for Kristen Stewart and Josh O’Connor leaving this project earlier this year.
And good thing too, as MUBI and Aïnouz wants to make a splash with “Rosebush Pruning.” The film is easily MUBI’s biggest production project in the distributor’s history, while Aïnouz is fresh off of has past two films premiering at Cannes and wants to make a stateside splash. Along with MUBI shares financing with The Apartment, Metafilms, Anna Films, and In Bloom. Other financers include German Federal Film Board, Film un Meidienstiftung NRW, Medienboard, and BFI.
Viola Fügen and Michael Weber produce “Rosebush Pruning” through The Match Factory, and also handle the film’s worldwide sales. Simone Gattoni of Kavac Film also produces, along with Andreas Wentz and Juan Cano “Nono” through Surfilm and Rachel Dargavel for Crybaby.
“I’m so excited to bring this audacious and delicious script to life, which challenges our notions of the traditional family and the patriarchy, with this brilliant ensemble of actors who I have long admired,” Aïnouz said in a press statement. Aïnouz’s “Motel Destino” still awaits an official US theatrical release after its Cannes world premiere this May. The erotic thriller already hit theaters in his native Brazil last month, and hits German theaters in November and French ones in December. “Firebrand,” Aïnouz’s 2023 film starring Alicia Vikander and Jude Law, hit US theaters in June.
As for when “Rosebush Pruning” hits theaters, expect MUBI to give it a premier opening in 2025 after it has a world premiere at a major festival, most likely Cannes.