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EXCLUSIVE: Neon and Topic Studios have wrapped on their comedy Splitsville, directed by and starring The Climb‘s Michael Angelo Covino, adding Nicholas Braun (Succession), David Castañeda (The Umbrella Academy), and O-T Fagbenle (The Handmaid’s Tale) to the cast.
Details as to the trio’s roles are being kept under wraps. As previously announced, Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, and Covino’s The Climb collaborator Kyle Marvin will also star.
In Splitsville, Ashley (Arjona) asks for a divorce, leading good-natured Carey (Marvin) to run to his friends, Julie (Johnson) and Paul (Covino), for support. He’s shocked to discover that the secret to their happiness is an open marriage — that is, until Carey crosses the line and throws all of their relationships into chaos.
Reteaming following their work together on Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool, Topic Studios and Neon produced alongside Covino, Marvin and Emily Korteweg under the team’s Watch This Ready banner, as well as Johnson, Ro Donnelly, and Samantha Racanelli for TeaTime Pictures. Arjona and Paul Barbeau are the executive producers. Neon will release the film domestically next year, with Neon International continuing to rep worldwide sales rights at AFM.
The project was developed at Topic Studios as part of a multi-year first look deal with Covino and Marvin’s Watch This Ready following their collaboration on Covino’s directorial debut The Climb.
A three-time Emmy nominee for his performance as Cousin Greg on HBO’s Succession, Braun can currently be seen playing the dual roles of Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson in Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night. Other upcoming projects include Amazon’s star-studded Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie and Ruben Östlund’s The Entertainment System Is Down.
Known for his role as Diego Hargreeves on Netflix’s hit series The Umbrella Academy, Castañeda will next be seen starring opposite Ana de Armas in Lionsgate’s John Wick spin-off Ballerina, which releases on June 6, 2025. Following additional recent appearances in Peacock’s Poker Face and Antoine Fuqua’s The Guilty opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, he’ll also soon be seen playing the titular role in indie Chalino. Written and directed by Jesus Celaya, that film is based on the antihero known as “El Rey del Corrido,” who achieved superstardom and attained legendary status for his contributions to the popularity of the regional music subgenre Narcocorridos.
Emmy-nominated for his role of Luke on The Handmaid’s Tale, which returns for its sixth and final season next year, Fagbenle has also been seen starring on Apple TV+’s hit series Presumed Innocent, with additional appearances on Loot, Secret Invasion, WeCrashed, and The First Lady. Next up, he’ll be seen starring in Netflix’s comedy No Good Deed from Dead to Me‘s Liz Feldman, which premieres on December 12.
Braun is repped by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Castañeda by Buchwald, Stark Management, and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis; and Fagbenle by Buchwald and attorney Barry Littman of Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.
