Director Peter Bogdanovich is shuffling a few chairs on the deck of his upcoming show-business comedy, which currently is in production but still is in search of a title. The Wrap breaks the story that Brie Larson, star of Short Term 12 and 21 Jump Street, has left the ensemble, and has been replaced by Imogen Poots.
Early reports say that Bogdanovich’s film was working under the title She’s Funny That Way, and also Squirrels to Nuts, though there’s no mention of either name in the Wrap story. Instead, what’s confirmed are Poots’ co-stars. She’ll join Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Cybil Shepherd, Eugene Levy and Kathryn Hahn. The plot sounds like something lifted out of Wood\y Allen’s playbook, though, with Wilson playing a married Broadway producer who falls for a prostitute and agrees to make her the newest star of the Great White Way. Now, whether it’s true or not, I’m thinking of this project as Midnight In Paris by way of The Cat’s Meow. And that’s exactly what I hope we get out of the upcoming project.
Want to know another reason why we’re interested? Because in addition to this commendable cast and Bogdanovich behind the lens, the comedy is being co-produced by Noah Baumbach and Wes Anderson. Oh, now you’re listening, right? Baumbach, of course, is the creative mind behind fractured New York character character studies The Squid and the Whale and this year’s Frances Ha, which Katey Rich gave a near-perfect 4.5/5 stars. And Anderson’s resume is a laundry list of ideal ensemble comedies. I wonder if his involvement helped get Wilson on board, as they have worked together on numerous films like Bottle Rocket, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and my all-time favorite, The Darjeeling Limited.
Poots, meanwhile, has switched up genres over the course of her career, co-starring in period romances like Jane Eyre as well as horror remakes like Fright Night. She’s currently filming Need for Speed for director Scott Waugh, and reportedly has a role in Terence Malick’s Knight of Cups, though that’s never 100-percent confirmed until the Malick movie makes it into theaters in its final-cut phase.
The Wrap says that Poots has nabbed the key role in Bogdanovich’s movie as the prostitute who wins Wilson’s heart, earning her a shot at overnight stardom. Shepherd and comedian Richard Lewis will play her parents. Aniston is on board as a therapist in the movie, and Holly Wiersma is listed as a co-producer. The movie’s shooting in New York.
Sad that Larson’s no longer in the movie? I feel your pain. Make up for it by checking out the trailer for her latest, Short Term 12, which is fantastic. It’s in theaters, in limited release, as of the end of August.
