Oct 01, 2012
Elijah Wood (THE LORD OF THE
RINGS, WILFRED) is set to play the lead role in the new comedy feature film THE
LATE BLOOMER from Dignity Film Finance (DFF), it was announced today by the producers.
Jesse Israel of Ineffable Pictures, Heidi
Jo Markel of Eclectic Pictures will produce and DFF President
Maggie Monteith, will executive produce and finance the film.
Expected to go into production in
January 2013, Monteith produces the film with Israel, Markel and Brent Emery, (Coup
d’Etat Films). Raphael Kryszek, Ineffable Pictures’ founder, is also executive
producing.
International
sales agent Cargo Entertainment, led by Marina Grasic, Jan Korbelin and
Mark Lindsay is on board to handle International distribution rights to the
film and will
introduce THE LATE BLOOMER to overseas buyers at AFM in
November.
Directed by Randall Einhorn (FX’s
“WILFRED,” NBC’s “The Office,”), THE LATE BLOOMER is based on the 2001
acclaimed memoir Man Made: A Memoir of My Body by Ken Baker and adapted
for the screen by Joe Nussbaum and Paul Kaplan & Mark Torgove.
THE LATE BLOOMER is the amazing
true story of a man who found out at close to age 30 that he hadn’t yet totally undergone
puberty but when the medical condition preventing it was removed, in several
short, overwhelming weeks did so.
“The combination of
Einhorn and Wood is exceptional, as we’ve seen with the success of “WILFRED”,”
said Monteith. “I know that they will honor Baker’s true story in a very
entertaining way.”
Wood will next be seen in Peter Jackson’s THE HOBBIT: AN
UNEXPECTED JOURNEY opposite Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage,
Orlando Bloom and Cate Blanchett to be released in December 2012 through Warner
Bros. Pictures, reprising his starring role in the epic Oscar-winning and
worldwide blockbuster film trilogy THE LORD OF THE RINGS. His
movie MANIAC, a remake of the 1980 serial-killer classic, premiered at the
Cannes Film Festival, and will be released by IFC Midnight early 2013. He is
the lead voice on Disney XD’s animated series “Tron: Uprising” and can currently
be seen on Season 2 of FX’s “Wilfred.” He is currently filming the
psychological thriller GRAND PIANO opposite John Cusack. Wood has starred in
several acclaimed films in his young career including CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER,
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED and BOBBY and
provided his voice for Warner Bros. Pictures animated hits, HAPPY FEET and
HAPPY FEET TWO.
Einhorn is one of the most prolific directors of cutting-edge
television comedy working today. “Wilfred”-- the
popular FX series which also stars Wood – is currently in its second season.
Additional credits include NBC’s “The Office,” CBS’ “Parks and Recreation,”
“Nurse Jackie” for Showtime and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” for
FX. Einhorn was nominated for two Primetime Emmys for his cinematography on
CBS’ “Survivor.”
"THE LATE BLOOMER is the type of wonderful
heartfelt comedy that I like to engage in. Puberty can be difficult at best and
has the potential to be extremely comedic in normal circumstances,” said
Einhorn. “This true story is anything but a normal circumstance. That truth is
a new twist on something we all know well and Elijah is just perfect to play
the lead role. It is clear to me that Dignity gets my vision for THE LATE
BLOOMER and I am delighted to be working with Maggie and her team."
Baker is an American journalist, author and television
personality, currently serving as E! News’ Chief Correspondent. Prior to
that, Baker worked at US Weekly and People Magazine and has appeared on
television for Fox News, The Today Show, CNN, MSNBC and HLN. Baker is the
author of four other books: Baker's second memoir, They
Don't Play Hockey in Heaven: A Dream, a Team and My Comeback Season chronicled
the season he spent as pro hockey's oldest rookie; Hollywood Hussein a satirical
take on the capture of Saddam Hussein; The Great Eight: How to Be Happy
(even when you have every reason to be miserable) which he co-authored and Fangirl
which hits bookstores in October.
Monteith, President of Dignity Film Finance, is an entertainment
finance, marketing and distribution veteran having worked for two decades on
the distribution and marketing of more than 200 films. Through her partnership
with Sheryl Crown and the London-based The Documentary Company, Monteith also
was a financier and executive producer on the acclaimed documentary SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN which won the Audience Award and a
Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The
doc is produced by Simon Chinn of Red Box Films and executive produced by John
Battsek of Passion Pictures in association with Canfield Pictures and The
Documentary Company. SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN is currently in theatres
through Sony Pictures Classics
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