Copyright Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: Here’s a welcome shot in the arm for the market ahead of next week’s AFM. In what will be one of the few must-have projects on sale, an all-star cast has come together for writer-director Elijah Bynum’s (Magazine Dreams) next project, the dark comic crime thriller My Darling California. Oscar winner Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (Weapons), Star Trek and Hell Or High Water star Chris Pine, Oscar winner Mikey Madison (Anora), Oscar nominee Don Cheadle (Ocean’s franchise) and Gotham winner Charles Melton (Riverdale) will lead the buzzy movie. Set in LA, the film will chart how a single crime weaves together the lives of a TV host, his restless wife, a country music idol, two small time crooks and an ex-con, all of whom are chasing the promise of a better life. Anton (Greenland) and 2AM (Materialists) are behind the project with Anton and CAA Media Finance handling sales for the AFM. Producing is David Hinojosa of 2AM (Materialists). Zach Nutman of 2AM will be executive-producing. Production is scheduled to start in 2026. Behind the camera, Bynum is joined by an impressive crew: Chayse Irvin (BlacKkKlansman) as DoP, editor Leslie Jones (The Master), production designer Judy Becker (The Brutalist) and costume designer Erin Benach (Drive). Elijah Bynum first broke out with A24 film Hot Summer Nights, starring Timothée Chalamet and Maika Monroe, and followed with Sundance buzz title Magazine Dreams. David Hinojosa said: “Elijah is one of the most exciting new filmmaking voices today, and My Darling California solidifies him as a major talent. Along with this stellar cast, we are thrilled to help bring his vision to life and create a true cinematic event.” Anton’s Sebastien Raybaud added: “Elijah has written something electrifying and we are proud to support his bold and uncompromising vision. He’s a filmmaker with the rare ability to marry emotional depth with cinematic scale — and My Darling California is a testament to that.” Bynum is represented by CAA, Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment and Myman Greenspan Fox; Chastain by CAA, Mosaic, and Hansen, Jacobson; Brolin by CAA and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole; Pine by CAA, Brillstein Entertainment, and Gendler, Kelly & Cunningham; Madison by UTA, Authentic Talent and Literary, and Sloan, Offer, Weber & Dern; Cheadle by UTA; and Melton by 111 Media, CAA and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
