An update on this project, originally announced in 2023 — it’s titled “42.6 Years,” a romantic comedy with genre elements starring Andy Samberg and Annette Bening, who replaces originally cast Jean Smart. The film has also moved from Amazon/MGM Studios to Focus Features.
Additionally, there’s a new director, Michael Schwartz, who helmed the well-reviewed indie “The Peanut Butter Falcon.” The script is by Seth Reiss, who wrote “The Menu” (well-received) and “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” (less so).
“42.6 Years” follows Ben (Samberg), who, after an experimental procedure leaves him cryogenically frozen for 42.6 years, sets out to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend Ruthie (Bening). While he hasn’t aged a day, she has lived an entire lifetime without him.
Schwartz broke out with “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” a coming-of-age story about a young man with Down syndrome who dreams of wrestling, starring Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson, and Shia LaBeouf. The film won the SXSW Narrative Spotlight Audience Award. His follow-up, co-directed with Tyler Nilson, “Los Frikis,” is a drama about ’90s Cuban punk rockers who deliberately infect themselves with HIV to create a utopian refuge.