Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline are set to star in an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel “The Good House” at Amblin Partners, the studio announced Monday.
Production will begin this week in Canada on the film based on Ann Leary’s novel of the same name. Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky, who also co-wrote the script, are set to direct.
“The Good House” follows Hildy Good (Weaver), a wry New England realtor and descendant of the Salem witches, who loves her wine and loves her secrets. Her compartmentalized life starts to unravel as she rekindles an old romance and becomes dangerously entwined in one person’s reckless behavior.
Jane Rosenthal, Berry Welsh and Aaron Ryder are producing on behalf of FilmNation Entertainment. The executive producers are Erika Hampson, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos and Steve Samuels.
Universal Pictures will release the film domestically, and Amblin Partners and Universal will share international distribution rights.
“The Good House” is also a reunion for Weaver and Kline, who previously appeared on screen together in the 1993 comedy “Dave” and in the drama “The Ice Storm” from 1997.
Weaver will next be seen reprising her role as Dr. Grace Augustine in James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequels and will also be seen in “Ghostbusters 2020.”
Kline won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1988 for his work in “A Fish Called Wanda,” and a Tony for Best Actor in a Play for the 2017 revival of “Present Laughter.” He had a stint doing voice work for “Bob’s Burgers,” and he’ll next be seen in “The Starling” from Theodore Melfi and “The Diary” from Jackie Chan.
The writing team of Forbes and Wolodarsky have been married since 2004. Forbes worked on “The Larry Sanders” show, and wrote and directed “Infinitely Polar Bear” and “The Polka King.” Wolodarsky was a staff writer for “The Simpsons.” The couple most recently co-wrote “A Dog’s Journey” and “A Dog’s Purpose.”
Weaver and Kline are both represented by UTA. Kline is managed by Berwick & Kovacik.
5 Best Picture Oscar Winners That Launched at the Toronto Film Festival (Photos)
While Cannes, Berlin, and Venice are all more exotic and glamorous film festivals, the Toronto International Film Festival has become the kingmaker when it comes to the Academy Awards. Since 2008, all but one of the films that have won the festival's People's Choice Award have gone on to become nominated for Best Picture, and multiple films that premiered there have gone on to win the biggest Oscar prize. Here are five of those films from the past decade.
"Slumdog Millionaire" (2008) -- While the Toronto-to-Oscar pipeline dates back to 1999 with "American Beauty," it reached another level with Danny Boyle's crowd-pleaser about a young Indian man whose childhood helps him conquer "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire." While "Slumdog" premiered at Telluride, it was at Toronto where the buzz hit full swing, winning the People's Choice Award before grossing $377 million worldwide and taking home eight Oscars.
Fox Searchlight
"The King's Speech" (2010) -- Toronto is a major reason why the biopic that has become Tom Hooper's signature role to date beat out more critically acclaimed and popular films like "Inception," "Toy Story 3," and "The Social Network." Hitting every point in the proverbial "Oscar Bait" checklist, "The King's Speech" delighted the industry-heavy crowd in Toronto, creating a buzz among Hollywood's Academy voting bloc so strong that TheWrap's Steve Pond called it as a lock to win Best Picture six months out.
TWC/Lantern Capital
"12 Years A Slave" (2013) -- While a Toronto film can gain buzz for delighting a certain audience's sensibilities, it can do the same by leaving them downright speechless. The careers of Lupita Nyong'o and Chiwetel Ejiofor can be divided into before and after TIFF 2013, as their powerful performances drove home Steve McQueen's message about just how brutal American slavery truly was. Hollywood deemed "12 Years" an important film that must be seen, ensuring its Oscar victory.
Fox Searchlight
"Spotlight" (2015) -- Going into TIFF 2015, the big talk was about seeing newly minted Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne play a trans woman in "The Danish Girl" or Charlie Kaufman going stop-motion with "Anomalisa." But out of nowhere came a quiet but riveting retelling of the Boston Globe's 2002 Catholic Church sexual abuse investigation that won over the festivalgoers. "Spotlight" proved to be bigger than the sum of its parts, becoming the first Best Picture winner in over 60 years to only win one other Oscar (Best Adapted Screenplay).
Global Road
"Green Book" (2018) -- And then there's this year's Best Picture winner, which like "The King's Speech" saw its momentum start with winning the TIFF People's Choice Award. The victory of "Green Book" has been called by some critics the worst Best Picture winner since "Crash," but the Toronto buzz was so strong that nothing could stop it, whether it be other contenders like "Roma" or an interview with the family of Dr. Don Shirley who called the film a "symphony of lies."
Universal
1 of 6
Toronto has become the kingmaker festival for future Best Picture contenders and winners
While Cannes, Berlin, and Venice are all more exotic and glamorous film festivals, the Toronto International Film Festival has become the kingmaker when it comes to the Academy Awards. Since 2008, all but one of the films that have won the festival's People's Choice Award have gone on to become nominated for Best Picture, and multiple films that premiered there have gone on to win the biggest Oscar prize. Here are five of those films from the past decade.
Fox Searchlight
