Ariana DeBose, Jennifer Jason Leigh Board Chris Pine’s Directorial Debut ‘Poolman’
Leigh #Leigh
Ariana DeBose and Jennifer Jason Leigh have joined Chris Pine’s directorial debut, “Poolman.”
Fully financed by Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios, the actors join an existing cast of Annette Bening and Danny DeVito. Pine also stars in the movie, which is billed as a moving tribute to Los Angeles.
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Plot details for the pic are so far sparse, but “Poolman” is crafted as a nod to famous LA noirs like “Chinatown,” “The Long Goodbye,” “The Big Lebowski” and “La La Land.”
DeBose is fresh off her awards season sweep, which included Oscar, BAFTA and SAG awards for her star-making historic portrayal of Anita in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” Her other credits include “Hamilton,” “The Prom” and HBO’s “Westworld.” DeBose is also set to host the Tony Awards in June.
Meanwhile, Leigh — an Oscar nominee for “The Hateful Eight” — most recently starred in TV series “Hunters” and Lena Dunham’s “Sharp Stick.” Other credits include “Backdraft,” “Short Cuts” and “Single White Female.”
Pine co-write the script for “Poolman” with Ian Gotler. He will also produce alongside Stacey Sher (“Respect,” “Django Unchained”) and Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman franchise). The film goes into production in Los Angeles in June.
Also on board is award-winning cinematographer Matthew Jensen, whose credits include “Wonder Woman,” “Wonder Woman 1984,” “Fantastic Four” and “Filth.”
DeBose is repped by CAA and AC Management, while Leigh is repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment; Pine is repped by CAA, John Carrabino Management and Gendler & Kelly. Bening is repped by CAA and Mark Gochman of Gochman Law Group. DeVito is repped by CAA and Joel Behr of Behr & Abramson. Jenkins is repped by CAA and Sher are repped by CAA and Kevin Marks at Gang, Tyre, Ramer, & Brown. Jensen is repped by WME.
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