David Gordon Green had a bit of a rough end to 2023, with his horror film, “The Exorcist: Believer,” bombing at the box office. Shortly after, he limped his way out of the horror genre and started making “Nutcrackers,” a family drama. Now, it appears “Nutcrackers” is ready to go and has landed the coveted Opening Night film slot in this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
According to the festival, David Gordon Green’s “Nutcrackers” is set to open this year’s event, while Rebel Wilson’s “The Deb” will be the closing night feature.
Opening the festival is “Nutcrackers,” which is directed by Green and stars none other than Ben Stiller. The film marks Stiller’s first lead role in a film since 2017, and it’s Green’s first non-horror film since 2018. “Nutcrackers” tells the story of a guy who has to watch over his four nephews after their parents tragically die.
In the Closing Night spot is “The Deb,” a film that has recently found itself the subject of some drama. Recently, Rebel Wilson, making her directorial debut with the feature, went on social media to claim that producers on the film were preventing it from being shown at TIFF and were basically sabotaging her film. She also accused them of embezzlement and misconduct. Most recently, those same producers have sued her for defamation, leading to what might be a long legal battle. But at least the film is being shown. “The Deb” is a musical about a woman who wants to redefine herself at a debutante ball.
This year’s TIFF begins on September 5.