EXCLUSIVE: Kiersey Clemons (Warner Bros’ upcoming The Flash) is set to lead cast in Tayarisha Poe’s (Selah and the Spades) sophomore feature The Young Wife for FilmNation and Archer Gray.
Principal photography has begun in Savannah, GA, on the feature, which was written and is being directed by Poe.
Archer Gray’s Anne Carey produces, Amy Nauiokas is an executive producer and Rebecca Choi co-produces. The film is fully financed by FilmNation, with Ashley Fox serving as executive producer for the company.
According to the team, the movie follows a woman grappling with the meaning of love and commitment in the face of an uncertain and tumultuous world. A sunny-day panic attack and a wholly new take on the wedding film, the movie follows her over the course of her “non-wedding” day.
Emmy and Tony winner Judith Light (The Menu), Grammy winning R&B artist Leon Bridges (in his acting debut), Michaela Watkins, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Kelly Marie Tran, Connor Paolo, Aida Osman, Aya Cash, Lukita Maxwell, Sandy Honig, Brandon Micheal Hall, and Jon Rudnitsky round out the cast.
Poe’s debut film Selah and the Spades premiered at Sundance and was released on Amazon. Dope, Sweetheart and Lady and the Tramp actress Clemons next will be seen in Andy Muschietti’s live-action rendition of The Flash for Warner Brothers, where she will reprise her Justice League role as Iris West. She will also star alongside Alison Brie in the Amazon rom-com Somebody I Used To Know directed by Dave Franco.
“From our first conversation with Tayarisha, we were blown away by her romantic, vibrant vision for this film. The incredible talent that’s come together on both sides of the camera is a testament to her vision for the movie, a wildly original wedding story for a new generation” said FilmNation’s President of Production Ashley Fox.
Archer Gray’s Anne Carey added: “Tayarisha is an exciting singular storyteller and world-builder. The Young Wife promises to be a unique mashup of choreography, design, and an emotional story that challenges what we think about the world and love. We are thrilled to be working with her to bring such a dynamic film to life.”
FilmNation recently wrapped production on Claire Scanlon’s The People We Hate At The Wedding for Amazon Studios. Upcoming productions include Graham Moore’s directorial debut The Outfit and Damián Szifron’s English-language debut Misanthrope.
Archer Grey’s credits include Once The Musical, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, 20th Century Women, and Lost Girls.
Poe is repped by ICM Partners and FKKS. Clemons is repped by UTA, Range Media Partners and Jackoway Austen Tyerman et al. Light is repped by Gersh and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Bridges is CAA, Mick Management, and Columbia Records. Ralph is Innovative, Neon Kite, and GGSSC. Tran is CAA, M88, and GGSSC. Paolo is Paradigm and Link Entertainment. Cash is UTA, Industry Entertainment, The Spotlight Company and Paul Hastings. Rudnitsky is Management 360 and ICM Partners. Osman is WME, Mosaic, and FKKS. Honig is UTA, BEP, and Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson McGinnis Ryan. Maxwell is Trademark Talent and Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light. Archer Gray is FKKS.
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