After starring inCaptain MarvelandAvengers: Endgameand making her directorial debut with the upcoming Netflix movieUnicorn Store, it’s safe to say thatBrie Larsondeserves a break. She has certainly earned one. And perhaps that’s why she has pulled out ofCharlie Kaufman’s psychological thrillerI’m Thinking of Ending Things. I haven’t heard of any creative differences or another project that would pose a scheduling conflict. I simply imagine that after a whirlwind press tour forCaptain Marvel– one that will surely continue next month withEndgame– the actress simply wanted to rest rather than squeeze in another movie.
It’s a shame, really, as not only was I looking forward to seeing Larson work with fellow Oscar winner Kaufman, but I was excited to see her paired withJesse Plemons. Now it’ll be rising starJessie Buckley(Beast) stepping into the female lead, and joining her will beToni ColletteandDavid Thewlis, both of whom are riding high following their respective turns inHereditaryand the fourth season ofFargo.
Based onIan Reid’s 2016 novel,I’m Thinking of Ending Thingsfollows Jake (Plemons) as he takes his girlfriend (Buckley) on a road trip to meet his parents on their secluded farm. It’s always awkward meeting your significant other’s parents, but in this case it’s extra weird because she is thinking of ending their relationship. When Jake makes an unexpected detour that leaves her stranded, all bets are off as sheer terror ensues.
Kaufman is producing the film with his longtime collaboratorAnthony Bregman(Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) of Likely Story, as well asStefanie AzpiazuandBob Salerno. Reid will serve as a co-producer on the project. Given Kaufman’s stature in the industry, I do wonder if Netflix plans to give this film a limited theatrical release, or whether they’d planned to when Larson was set to star. I’ve heard great things about the book, but don’t know if the film has any awards prospects. Genre films rarely do, but in Kaufman’s hands, you never know.
Collette, of course, found that our the hard way when her bravura performance in A24’sHereditarywas overlooked by awards voters. She recently starred in another Netflix movie,Dan Gilroy’sVelvet Buzzsaw, and she’ll soon be seen inRian Johnson’s murder mysteryKnives OutwithDaniel CraigandChris Evans.
Buckley broke out in the indie thrillerBeastand is said to give a star-making performance in the upcoming music-driven featureWild Rose. She recently wrapped theRobert Downey Jr.vehicleThe Voyage of Doctor Dolittleand will soon be seen in HBO’s limited seriesChernobyl.
In addition toFargo, Thewlis recently starred inWonder Woman, and he’s also part of theAvatarsequel slated for release in December 2020. CAA represents all three actors, whose castings were first reported byVariety.
