EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominee Virginia Madsen (Sideways), Jake Weber (Medium, Dawn of the Dead), Will Patton (Horizon: An American Saga Chapter I & II, Halloween), Jon Tenney (The Green Lantern, Major Crimes) and Wes Chatham (SyFy’s The Expanse, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I and II) are set to star in director James C.E. Burke‘s dark comedy feature The Ice at the Bottom of the World.
Rounding out the cast are Seth Numrich (Under the Banner of Heaven, The Boroughs), Emily DeForest (The Blind) and Elise Eberle (Shameless, Salem).
Cameras are currently rolling on the movie in Matthews and Gloucester Counties, Virginia.
Pic is billed as a darkly comic tale about a Navy captain who returns to his Chesapeake Bay Island home after 35 years at sea, hoping to set things right with his long-suffering wife and spirited daughters before he dies. Chaos ensues when he accidentally shoots down a Navy jet, turning their already messy reunion into a wild mix of confessions, humor, and forgiveness. Amidst the turmoil, their deep love and ironic wit help them face heartbreak and loss proving that, even at the end, love turns life’s biggest messes into something meaningful
Mark Richard (The Good Lord Bird, The Man In the High Castle and Fear The Walking Dead) wrote the script based on his PEN/ Hemingway award-winning collection of short stories of the same name, and he’ll EP as well. DisruptiveLA is fully financing the film with Chris Miller (Oscar-winning Undefeated, Exec. Prod.) and Marc Ambrose (Emmy nominated The Beatles: Eight Days a Week-The Touring Years) producing. Jayne Amelia Larson and Jeni Jones co-produce.
Miller says, “Mark’s keenly observed script about family relationships has a long history and Hollywood lore. We are extremely pleased to be the lucky ones finally bringing to life a comedy which is so well grounded in its characters. To this end we have handpicked an outstanding ensemble of creative talent to help us make the magic happen.”
Burke says, “Ice at the Bottom of the World explores the things we do for, against, and because of family—and how love persists through it all. I was immediately drawn to Mark Richard’s script for the way it embraces the unpredictable rhythm of life—where absurdity and tenderness often overlap. I’m thrilled to collaborate with the talented cast and creative team we’ve assembled in bringing Mark’s powerful, darkly funny script to the screen. We are shooting in Chesapeake Bay where the story is actually set, and to shoot in this very special place is a dream come true.”
Burke produced Afternoon Delight starring Juno Temple and Kathryn Hahn, which won Best Director at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival; 13 Conversations About One Thing starring Matthew McConaughey and John Turturro, which was a National Board of Review top ten winner. He also produced Levity starring Billy Bob Thornton, Morgan Freeman, Holly Hunter, and Kirsten Dunst, which was the opening night film of the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. As a director, Burke helmed Aurora Borealis starring Juliette Lewis, Joshua Jackson, and Donald Sutherland, which was an official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival. His theatre productions have earned thirty critics’ awards, and his Broadway production of Long Day’s Journey into Night starring Philip Seymour Hoffman won three Tony Awards.
Madsen is represented by Buchwald and Untitled, Weber by Framework, Patton by IAG, Tenney by Gersh and Link, Chatham by Gersh and Brecheen Feldman Breimer Silver Thompson, LLP, Numrich by Innovative and Principal Entertainment LA, DeForest by Innovative and Authentic Talent and Literary Management and Eberle by Paradigm.
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