UPDATED: Greta Gerwig has joined the cast of Baumbach’s next film. I’m glad she’s continuing on as an actress. Before she became a filmmaker, Gerwig, 40, was a wonderful indie actress, I’ll always cherish her turns in “Frances Ha”, “Greenberg” and “Hannah Takes the Stairs.” “Jay Kelly” is set to be the fifth Baumbach film she stars in.
Gerwig isn’t the only name that’s been added to the cast of “Jay Kelly,” which is looking more and more like a massive ensemble film. It already had Sandler, Clooney, Dern, Crudup and Keough. Now we can add the likes of Jim Broadbent, Isla Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Eve Hewson, Emily Mortimer, Alba Rohrwacher, and Patrick Wilson.
Star-studded doesn’t even begin to describe this one. After his $150+ million Netflix gamble, “White Noise,” failed to launch, Baumbach is giving the streaming giant the kind of project that they desire. Hopefully, it turns out to be a good film.
EARLIER: Production on Noah Baumbach’s ‘Jay Kelly’ is set to begin in New York this month. The film already had George Clooney and Adam Sandler as the leads, and we can now add Laura Dern, Billy Crudup and Riley Keough as well. This Netflix-produced movie, an ensemble piece, is being described as a “funny and emotional coming-of-age story about adults.”
Baumbach is directing the film based on a screenplay he co-wrote with actress Emily Mortimer, who has become a close family friend. Mortimer previously wrote and directed the BBC series “The Pursuit of Love.” It’s interesting to note that Brad Pitt originally had the Clooney role, but bailed out due to his commitment with Joseph Kosinski’s $200 million Formula One film, which is still shooting.
”Jay Kelly” is set to be Baumbach’s fourth film with Netflix, as they also distributed “White Noise” “Marriage Story,” and “The Meyerowitz Stories.” Some of Baumbach’s other notable films include his two best films, “The Squid and the Whale,” “France Ha,” and “Greenberg.”