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EXCLUSIVE: Bruce Dern (Nebraska), Hunter Parrish (Weeds), Julia Fox (Uncut Gems) and Joanna Cassidy (Blade Runner) have wrapped in Toronto on Northbound, an indie road trip comedy from director William Scoular (Survival Box).
Written by Ashlin Halfnight (The New Look), Northbound watches as an octogenarian rogue named Arthur (Dern) enlists his grandson Kevin (Parrish) to help him escape a nursing home. What ensues, as Kevin chauffeurs him from Arizona to Canada, goes way off the map. The two pick up a mysterious and dangerous woman (Fox) and as the miles tick by, love begins to bloom, bullets fly, and Arthur tries to convince his grandson to carry on the family whiskey business. As they approach their destination, Arthur reveals he has secrets and sins to atone for on this madcap journey to redemption.
Hailing from Gatehouse Productions, Beyond the Frame and Lumanity, the indie also stars comedian Russell Peters, Oscar nominee Graham Greene (Reservation Dogs), Walter Borden (Coroner) and Dylan Baker (Hunters).
Saad Siddiqui and Scoular are producing for Gatehouse Productions, alongside Robert Budreau for Lumanity, and Jason Ross Jallet and Andrew Bronfman for Beyond the Frame. Exec producers include Wendy La Brier for Gatehouse Productions and Jonathan Bronfman for Beyond the Frame. Hyde Park International is representing world sales outside of the U.S. and Canada.
“Northbound is both a heart-warmer and a heart-breaker, raw and funny with a darkness just below the surface. It’s inspired by my late father, a larger-than-life octogenarian, so I have a real emotional gateway to the material,” Scoular told Deadline. “Bruce Dern is one of the most brilliant actors of any generation, and he’s bringing something to the character that I don’t think anyone else could tap into. And our young leads – Hunter Parrish and Julia Fox – have been equally impressive.”
Producer Siddiqui called the project “a poignant story about the kinds of questions we all have as we age,” adding, “In the film, Arthur (Bruce Dern) forces us to reflect on what a life well-lived looks like and dares us to take the road less traveled. This critically acclaimed cast, under the astute direction of William Scoular, have brought rich and complex performances to the screen that will have undeniable mass appeal.”
Oscar-nominated for his performances in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska and Hal Ashby’s Coming Home, Dern has most recently been seen starring opposite Kristen Wiig, Allison Janney and his daughter Laura in Apple TV+’s Emmy-nominated series Palm Royale. Additionally, he appears alongside Bill Burr in the comedy Old Dads, which Burr directed for Netflix.
Best known for a starring role on Showtime’s Weeds, Parrish has also been seen on shows like The Other Black Girl, Quantico and Good Girls Revolt, among many others. Feature credits include Still Alice opposite Oscar winner Julianne Moore, It’s Complicated opposite Meryl Streep, 17 Again, Gone, and Paper Man opposite Emma Stone.
Breaking out with a prominent role in the Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems, Fox will next be seen in Presence, a psychological thriller from Steven Soderbergh, with whom she previously collaborated on the crime thriller No Sudden Move. Up next, she’ll be seen in Universal’s Monkeypaw horror pic Him from director Justin Tipping.
A Golden Globe winner and two-time Emmy nominee, Cassidy is known for roles in films like Blade Runner, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Under Fire and Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, among others. In television, her credits include The L Word: Generation Q, NCIS: New Orleans, Too Old to Die Young and Six Feet Under, to name just a few.
Scoular made his feature directorial debut with Survival Box, a thriller penned by Halfnight, which was released in 2019. His numerous theatrical credits include Berkoff’s Women and Toyer on London’s West End, the world premiere of My Time Ain’t Long: The Jimmy Rogers Story, and Samuel Beckett’s Footfalls for the World Stage Festival.
Dern is represented by Pure Arts; Parrish by UTA, Framework Entertainment, and Schreck Rose Dapello; Fox by WME and Framework Entertainment; Cassidy by Artists & Representatives and Shelter Entertainment Group; Scoular by Diamond Management; and Halfnight by Diamond Management, IAG, and Vanguarde Artists Management.
