Heavyweight actresses Meryl Streep (“Don’t Look Up”) and Sigourney Weaver (“The Gorge”) have been set to co-star in a new “provocative” NYC-set thriller that takes place within the world of luxury properties, as the new feature titled “Useful Idiots” hails from filmmaker Joseph Cedar.
The director, previously behind films such as “Beaufort” and “Footnote,” directs from a script he penned alongside “60 Minutes” producer Shachar Bar-On. Fifth Season finances and produces “Useful Idiots” with Closer Media‘s Zhang Xin and Jonathan King, Bruce Cohen, and William Horberg. An executive producer team features the likes of Graham Taylor, Christopher Slager, and Dan Guando for Fifth Season. Black Bear is introducing the pic to buyers at the American Film Market this week, and CAA Media Finance handles the U.S. rights.
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“Useful Idiots,” as described by Variety‘s report, follows veteran journalist Diane Castle (played by Streep) as she “covers the New York luxury property market, disillusioned with writing puff pieces about the wealthy elite, and feeling regretful that she may not have lived up to her potential. When a record-breaking sale of a new penthouse hits her desk, Diane’s questions about the buyer’s identity lead to what could be the story of a lifetime. At its center is a mysterious oligarch, whose influence stretches across Manhattan and beyond, protected by a network of fixers, enablers, and a brilliant young strategist. Out of her depth, Diane digs deeper into the investigation, her determination to uncover the truth revealing a web of corruption and danger at the highest levels, ensnaring Diane, her family, and all those around her.”
Some other projects on the horizon for Streep include the “The Devil Wears Prada” sequel alongside fellow returners such as Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt, and had been rumored for Cameron Crowe‘s high-profile Joni Mitchell biopic.
Meanwhile, Weaver will be seen next in James Cameron‘s “Avatar: Fire & Ash” this December (expected to be part of the other two “Avatar” sequels in the works), has a lead role in Jon Favreau‘s “Star Wars” film “The Mandalorian & Grogu” and may end up finally making “Alien 5” after a recent meeting with the folks at Disney about a script penned by Walter Hill.
Stay tuned as we imagine that “Useful Idiots” should have an equally impressive supporting cast surrounded Streep and Weaver.
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