Elisabeth Moss, Kate Hudson and Kaia Gerber have been tapped to star in the sexy, psychological thriller “Shell”.
The film, directed by Max Minghella, is “set in a near future when humanity’s cultural obsession with youth and beauty has been taken to new extremes,” as per the official logline.
Black Bear International will be introducing the project to international buyers in Cannes and will distribute directly in the U.K. and Ireland.
READ MORE:
Kate Hudson Is Wrongly Told She’s Won An Oscar In Awkward Red Carpet Moment
The synopsis for the upcoming thriller reads: “Struggling actress Samantha (Elisabeth Moss) is given an opportunity to get a free trial at Shell, a pioneering health and beauty company which promises to keep its clients looking young forever. Samantha’s life and career is transformed by the treatment, and she develops a burgeoning friendship with Shell’s CEO, the ultra-glamorous Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson). When a string of former Shell patients go missing under mysterious circumstances, including popular social media star Chloe Benson (Kaia Gerber), Samantha starts to fear she may be in danger herself.”
“Shell” is being produced by Automatik’s Fred Berger (“La La Land”, “The Autopsy of Jane Doe”) and Brian Kavanaugh Jones (“Insidious”, “Sinister”), alongside Emmy-nominee Max Minghella for Blank Tape (“Teen Spirit”), Elisabeth Moss and Lindsey McManus for Love & Squalor Pictures (“Shining Girls”) and Alicia Van Couvering (“Cop Car”). The project, which Jamie Bell will executive produce, derives from a script penned by Jack Stanley (“Lou”).
READ MORE:
‘The Crowded Room’ First Look: Tom Holland Gets Interrogated In Twisty New Thriller Series
Minghella, who has established himself with his prolific talent both behind and in front of the camera, made his directorial debut with “Teen Spirit” starring Elle Fanning, Zlatko Buric and Rebecca Hall in 2018. The drama premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and SXSW before releasing in theatres in April 2019.
Speaking about the upcoming project, Minghella said: “’Shell’ packs a wildly entertaining genre movie with iconic characters and universal themes that are bound to have people talking long after they leave the theatre.”
Meanwhile, Moss teased that “this is one of the most unique, entertaining and special scripts I’ve ever read and I am so honoured to be a part of it as an actor and flattered that Max [Minghella] came to me with this character, who’s unlike anyone I’ve ever played before.”
READ MORE:
Elle Fanning Splits From Longtime Boyfriend Max Minghella
“Having worked with Max for years on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, I’m so thrilled to now be directed by him as I’m a huge fan of his as a filmmaker,” the Emmy-winning actress continued. “We at Love & Squalor are also excited to be working alongside Automatik and Black Bear, two companies we very much admire.”
Moss is currently in production on the Steven Knight/FX limited series, “The Veil”, before she begins production on the sixth and final season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” later this year. She’s also set to star opposite Michael Fassbender in the Taika Waititi film “Next Goal Wins”.
Gerber, who recently appeared in Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon”, also has a few upcoming projects, including Emma Seligman’s SXSW breakout, “Bottoms”, and the Apple TV+ series “Palm Royale” alongside Kristen Wiig and Laura Dern.
Black Bear International’s 2023 Cannes slate includes romantic epic “On Swift Horses” starring Daisy Edgar Jones, Jacob Elordi and Will Poulter, and Timur Bekmambetov’s “Motor City”.
With less than two weeks to go, the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival kicks off on May 16.
Click to View Gallery Casting Call: Stars Nab A New Role