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3 weeks ago
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EXCLUSIVE: Olivia Wilde (Don’t Worry Darling) and Gael García Bernal (Cassandro) are set to star in psychological thriller Monkey Hill, which will be directed by Sarah Adina Smith (Birds of Paradise) who wrote the script based on the Paul Theroux story of the same name.
In Monkey Hill, an heiress accused of a white-collar crime hides away with her husband at a luxury resort in an Indian holy city. In deep denial of the growing scandal, they distract themselves with sexual escapades and spiritual dalliances. Meanwhile, the hotel staff who pamper them by the pool return each night to a village plagued by civil unrest and a deadly water crisis. When the couple ventures past the hotel gates that protect them, they awaken the sleeping giant of fate.
Upgrade reps international rights on the film and is launching ahead of the American Film Market. 2AM and WME Independent co-rep North American rights.
The film, described to us by producers as a “sexy and seductive thriller”, will be produced by Mynette Louie (I Carry You With Me) for The Population and Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, and Anish Savjani (Rebel Ridge) for filmscience, with Smith, Jonako Donley, Feroze Alameer, Christine D’Souza Gelb, Kyle Jaeger, and Julia Nelson executive-producing.
Smith recently directed half of the upcoming first season of the Game of Thrones spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series for directing the pilot episode of Apple’s Lessons in Chemistry starring Brie Larson. Smith previously wrote and directed the feature thrillers Birds of Paradise and Buster’s Mal Heart starring Rami Malek.
Wilde is currently in production on Gregg Araki’s film I Want Your Sex starring opposite Cooper Hoffman and Charli XCX. Her recent credits include Don’t Worry Darling which she also directed, and she is attached to direct Avengelyne, a film adaptation of the ’90s titular comic book character, and Naughty, a Christmas comedy for Universal Pictures, both of which will be produced by Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap.
García Bernal most recently starred in the Hulu series La Maquina alongside Eiza González and Diego Luna. Next up, he will star in the upcoming Amazon Prime Video thriller Holland, Michigan alongside Nicole Kidman.
Smith is repped by WME, 2AM, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole. Wilde is repped by CAA, Untitled, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole. García Bernal is repped by WME, Ithaka Media, and Hansen, Jacobson.
