Copyright Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: Katheryn Winnick (Vikings) and Gina Torres (Suits) have signed on to star alongside Rob Lowe and Keith David in the dark comedy My New Friend Jim from filmmaker Ash Avildsen and his Sumerian Pictures. Currently in production in Nevada, the film follows two fathers from vastly different worlds who form an unlikely bond while searching for a runaway daughter in Reno. Winnick plays Melissa Cory, wife to Lowe’s Richard. Melissa is witty, sarcastic, and sharply opinionated on the times. Though her relationship with Richard is strained, everything shifts when she becomes an accessory to his crime — an unexpected ordeal that ultimately reignites the passion in their marriage. Torres plays Dorothy Dandy, the sweet, health-conscious wife of David’s Jim. Always working to diffuse tension, she becomes a source of emotional support for Melissa. However, while Dorothy is gentle in spirit, she does not back down from her polarizing husband’s behavior — whether at home or in front of company. Though she and Melissa come from very different worlds, the two women forge a meaningful bond as they navigate parenting and life’s many challenges. Anthony Mastromauro (The Old Man and the Gun, Finding Steve McQueen) is producing alongside Avildsen, with Paul Leighton, Angelene Tania Grode, and Lowe executive producing, and Brad LaFave on board as co-producer. Winnick is known for starring in the Emmy-winning Vikings as well as David E. Kelley’s Big Sky for ABC. She also starred in and produced Sean Penn’s Flag Day, with additional credits including The Marksman opposite Liam Neeson, Wander opposite Tommy Lee Jones and Aaron Eckhart, The Dark Tower alongside Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, The Art of the Steal with Kurt Russell, and Lionsgate’s Stand Up Guys opposite Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Alan Arkin. She is represented by CAA, Alchemy Entertainment, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Best known for her portrayal of Jessica Pearson on the hit series Suits and its spinoff Pearson, Torres became the first Afro-Latina to create, star in, and produce a television series with the latter. She also starred in Netflix’s The Perfect Find opposite Gabrielle Union, with additional credits including Firefly, Serenity, Alias, and Fox’s 9-1-1: Lone Star. She is repped by Realm Talent, Framework Entertainment, and Schreck Rose Dapello.
