The first major sell at the EFM market is upon us. A worldwide pact which has Sony Pictures striking up a deal in the $50M range for Kogonada’s “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” — one of the market’s hottest scripts, starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell package
The film is being described as “an imaginative tale of two strangers and the unbelievable journey that connects them”. Production is set to begin this spring in California. The trades keep saying that the plot details are being kept under wraps for this one, but I can exclusively give you a synopsis that was sent to me earlier in the week:
In this heartwarming tale, 37-year-old New Yorker, David, embarks on a downstate road trip to attend a wedding in his trusty 1996 Volkswagen Passat, equipped with a peculiar GPS feature. At the event, he crosses paths with Sarah, a fellow thirty-something with a tough exterior that leaves David uncertain about her feelings. As the night unfolds, Sarah pairs off with a groomsman, signaling ambiguity. The next day, David's GPS offers an intriguing proposition: a "Big Bold Beautiful Journey." Curiosity piqued, he accepts and finds himself at a Burger King, coincidentally joined by Sarah. Over Whoppers, they decide to embark on this enigmatic adventure. Their journey takes them to a lighthouse museum that doubles as a lighthouse, where they discover their growing affection. Then, they revisit a pivotal moment in David's past, leading to his heartbreak. Continuing their odyssey, they enter a painting in a Chicago museum, exploring a painted version of Paris. Sarah seizes the opportunity to reconcile with her late mother in a past hospital visit. The GPS catapults them into a future where they are married, offering a glimpse of their potential happiness. Returning to the present, they must choose whether to continue their journey in the real world, two guarded souls facing a profound decision.
Imperative Entertainment is producing “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.” As mentioned, Kogonada will direct the film, from an original script by Seth Reiss (“The Menu”).
Video-essayist-turned-filmmaker Kogonada blew me away with his 2017 debut “Columbus.” He followed that one up with the acclaimed 2021 film “After Yang,” starring Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, and “Columbus” beauty Haley Lu Richardson.
While James L. Brooks teased last year that "we'll soon be seeing" Jack Nicholson, 89, act again, and that he was "reading scripts," that idea has now been shut down by his close friend Michael Douglas, 82.