A quartet of stars are teaming for a buzzy British dark comedy billed as a “wickedly entertaining class satire” and set to be one of the hot new packages at the European Film Market.
Two-time Oscar nominee Keira Knightley, Oscar winner Alicia Vikander, BAFTA nominee Jamie Dornan and fast-rising talent Erin Kellyman (“Solo: A Star Wars Story,” “28 Years Later”) have been cast in dark comedy “The Worst,” marking the feature directorial debut of Simon Woods.
The project is now heading to the EFM in Berlin, where Protagonist Pictures and Logical Pictures International (LPI) are launching worldwide sales. Logical Pictures Group will finance, and the group’s newly announced sales venture LPI will co-rep sales alongside Protagonist. UTA Independent Film Group will co-represent domestic rights.
As per the description, “The Worst” skewers “privilege, aspiration and performative morality, turning an elegant couples’ getaway into a hilariously disastrous night to remember.”
The film centers on socialite Emily Fisher (Vikander) and her husband Max as they invite their equally wealthy friends to their new chateau in France for the night. Among the guests are a group of people who really can’t stand each other: Holly (Knightley), a struggling diversity consultant who continuously clashes with everyone until she gets a migraine, and Danny (Dornan) a quick-witted talent agent that name-drops his client list every chance he gets. As the evening begins to unravel and dark secrets are revealed, waitress Niamh (Kellyman) finds herself right in the middle of their chaos.
“I want audiences to have a great time watching ‘The Worst’ — to be drawn in by these vivid, over-the-top comic characters, their messy, uncomfortable relationships, and the squirm of it all. I want to dare the audience to like these people, bringing them right up to the line of almost agreeing with them, and in doing so hold a satirical mirror up to the moment we’re living in,” Woods said. “We’re building a film full of twists and turns, and there’s no better dream ensemble than this one to deliver every unexpected beat.”
Written and helmed by actor-turned-playwright-turned-director Woods (National Theatre’s “Hansard,” “Such a Lovely Day”), “The Worst” is being produced by Andy Berg and John Sachs of Eclipse Films, alongside BAFTA winner Josh Hyams of Promise Pictures. Frédéric Fiore, Ryan Wickers and Andrei Kamarowsky serve as executive producers for Logical Pictures Group, alongside Dave Bishop, James Pugh and George Hamilton for Protagonist Pictures.
“Simon Woods is one of the most exciting talents to emerge in film, both as a writer and director,” said the producers in a joint statement. “His new feature takes us on a breath-taking ride through every emotion you can imagine filled with great moments of humor, surprise and unexpected horrific twists. We are excited to be working with Simon and the amazing ensemble his brilliant script has attracted, tasked to bring his vision and these love-to-hate-to-love characters to life.”
Added Bishop: “’The Worst’ is a deliciously dark and timely satire — a piercing comedy that takes aim at privilege with real bite. With Simon Woods’ hilarious and surprising script and a killer ensemble led by Keira Knightley, Alicia Vikander, Jamie Dornan and Erin Kellyman, the film promises to turn a sun-lit Provençal gathering into a night of dangerously entertaining chaos. We’re thrilled to launch at EFM and unleash this bold, entertaining ride on the international market.”
As an actor, Woods starred in Working Title’s “Pride and Prejudice” and HBO’s “Rome” as well as taking lead roles in the BBC’s “Cranford” and “Penelope” alongside Christina Ricci, James McAvoy and Reese Witherspoon. His debut play, “Hansard” starring Alex Jennings and Lindsay Duncan, premiered at the National Theatre, while his short film “Such a Lovely Day” was nominated for a BAFTA and longlisted for a BIFA.
“’The Worst’ aligns perfectly with Logical Pictures Group’s focus on high-potential English-language films built around bold concepts, prestige packaging, and strong international commercial appeal,” said Kamarowsky, head of international at Logical Pictures Group.
Knightley is repped by United Agents, Range Media Partners and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern; Vikander is repped by UTA; Dornan is repped by UTA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern; Kellyman is repped by Curtis Brown Group in the U.K., CAA in U.S. and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.