Robin Wright will make her feature film directorial debut with the wilderness drama “Land,” an indie from HanWay Films in which she will also star.
The “House of Cards” and “Wonder Woman” actress will play Edee Mathis, a cosmopolitan lawyer consumed by grief who resolves to remove herself completely from life as she has known it and disappear. With advice from online survivalists, she moves to the most unpopulated area in the U.S., a cabin in the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming, and learns to hunt, fish and grow her food as she faces brutal winters, a challenging landscape and local wildlife that could kill her at any moment.
In crossing paths with Joseph, a First Nations local, Edee begins to confront her demons and surprises herself with her own will to survive.
The film is based on the original screenplay by Jesse Chatham and Golden Globe nominee Liz Hannah (“The Post”) and will begin production this summer in British Columbia where it will cover the stunning wild landscape over all four seasons.
“Robin proved herself a tour de force taking in hand ‘House Of Cards’ as a director as well as its lead actor,” HanWay Films managing director Gabrielle Stewart said in a statement. “She speaks very eloquently and passionately about wanting to tell the story of a woman’s journey through loss and pain, where only by giving herself to nature can she find a path to inner peace and redemption. It is a unique cinematic experience of huge scale, yet speaks to our basic human need for more earthy simplicity in this busy noisy world.”
“Land” was developed by Allyn Stewart (“Sully,” “Trial by Fire”) together with acclaimed casting director Lora Kennedy (“Wonder Woman,” “Argo”) and is financed by New York based production entity Big Beach. It is produced by Stewart, Kennedy, Big Beach co-founder and Academy Award nominee Peter Saraf (“The Farewell,” “Little Miss Sunshine”) and Leah Holzer (“A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood”).
Marc Turtletaub will executive produce for Big Beach with Cinetic Media’s John Sloss and Steve Farneth and Iron Circle Pictures’ Heather Rae.
HanWay Films has picked up the international sales rights and will commence sales at the Cannes Film Festival. Cinetic Media and CAA will handle North American rights.
Wright is represented by CAA, Sugar 23 and Ziffren Brittenham.