Some good news for those of us who've been waiting a decade for new Todd Solondz.
If you've been following along, you know the saga of "Love Child." The project went through cast after cast — Penélope Cruz and Edgar Ramírez were originally attached, then replaced by Rachel Weisz and Colin Farrell, before Elizabeth Olsen took over the lead. Then, in 2024, it all collapsed. Solondz was mere weeks away from flying to Spain to shoot when the whole thing got canceled.
Solondz was being interviewed by The New Yorker around the time it happened. He told them the movie "died last night" and, clearly frustrated, said that if he didn't get to make "Love Child," he would never make another movie. Olsen went to bat for him publicly, asking the press to run headlines saying "Todd Solondz needs money to make a movie." It didn't work.
Well, it looks like Solondz has moved on. His new feature is called "Frappuccino," and it starts shooting January 15 in New York and Colombia. Kathleen Turner is the lead. She plays an 80-year-old Jewish woman who falls for her much younger Trinidadian aide in Florida, "experiencing a love that transcends all differences." lol.
Yep, sounds like a Todd Solondz movie.
A Turner-led Solondz film is a pairing I didn't know I needed. Her "Serial Mom" energy feels tailor-made for his deranged style.
I'll repeat what I've said before: Solondz's best work remains his first three films, "Welcome to the Dollhouse," "Happiness" and "Storytelling." His most recent outing was 2016's "Wiener-Dog," meaning that if "Frappuccino" actually gets made, it would end a decade absence from cinema. Given what happened last time, I'll believe it when cameras roll. That said, fingers crossed.
Fitting timing, too. Solondz turns 67 tomorrow. Happy birthday, Todd.
Turner will play an 80-year-old Jewish woman who falls for her much younger Trinidadian aide in Florida, "experiencing a love that transcends all differences." Yep, sounds like a Todd Solondz movie.