I was wondering what was going on with Duke Johnson’s “The Actor,” starring Andre Holland, which, again, did not show up at any of the fall fests this year. Neon has not given a release date for the film either, which wrapped production way back in April 2023.
We now finally have some kind of update (via The Playlist). Holland is saying that Johnson is still tinkering around with the film, and it sounds like it’s still in post production, more 20 months since shooting wrapped.
Yeah, it’s fantastic, it’s great. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, like a super, special movie. I cannot wait for people to see it. And talk about a cast, stacked cast, man, we had some great actors in there, and Duke did a beautiful job with the movie. He’s really trying to get it exactly right, so he’s getting all the music rights and all the elements right. But I think people are going to love it.
The film, based on the best-selling novel, “Memory,” by Donald E. Westlake, is the story of an amnesiac man in 1950s Ohio who wakes up with no memory of who he is. He then attempts to trace back his identity in New York to figure out his own mystery.
It’s just unusual, really unusual, but also theatrical in a really interesting way. I don’t know how much he’s said publicly because I don’t want to spoil it for folks, but I play a theater actor who gets into an accident and loses his memory. Throughout the movie, you see this guy trying to find his way home, and it’s just a beautiful meditation on identity, love, and belonging.
Johnson wrote and co-directed, with Charlie Kaufman, 2016’s darkly fantastic animated treat “Anomalisa.” It was his feature-directing debut. Johnson actually specializes in stop-motion animation, which is why Kaufman sought his help with “Anomalisa,” and “The Actor” is his first ever live-action project.
Joining Holland in “The Actor” is a sturdy ensemble cast that includes Gemma Chan, May Calamawy, Toby Jones, Tracey Ullman, Olwen Fouéré, Joe Cole, and many more. At this point, it’s hard to really say when it’ll be released, but hopefully we’re looking at a 2025 rollout via Neon.
There's a lot of talent. Julianne Moore, Elle Fanning, Josh Hartnett, Emma Thompson, Sally Hawkins, Danny Huston, Robert Aramayo and Chloe Pirrie will all be part of the sprawling ensemble.