HanWay Films Boards Melissa Barrera’s Erotic Thriller “The One”

Melissa Barrera’s latest project has more support…

HanWay Films has boarded The One, an erotic thriller starring the 32-year-old Mexican actress and Nicholas Hoult and will launch sales at the Cannes Film Festival.

Melissa BarreraThe project comes from writer-director team Kevin Armento and Jaki Bradley and is billed as “a nightmarish horror about the romantic and psychological warfare waged by our beloved popular entertainment — and also begs the question… are we, the viewers, complicit?”

Barrera, who’s coming off box office horror hit Scream VI, leads the cast opposite Hoult.

Barrera plays Taylor, whose last-ditch effort to find love by becoming a contestant on a reality dating show begins to feel terrifyingly real as she becomes a finalist. Amidst an opulent beachfront setting, fairy-tale dates and champagne, “pursuit turns into obsession and rivalry turns into treachery as reality itself blurs.”

HanWay Films is handling worldwide sales, with WME Independent and UTA co-repping the film for North America. Hoult also produces alongside Whitaker Lader via their production company Dead Duck Films.

Riley Keough will also produce with Gina Gammell via their production company Felix Culpa.

Barrera can be seen next in Your Monster and Anthony McCarten’s The Collaboration, based on the play of the same name.

Her other credits include appearing in Carmen opposite Paul Mescal, Netflix’s Keep BreathingAll the World is SleepingVida and Warner Bros. In the Heights.

Lana Condor is also starring.

“We’ve been dreaming up this project for years, and are thrilled to now bring it to life with our actual dream team,” said Armento and Bradley in a statement. “Nick, Melissa, Riley, and Lana are some of the most exciting talents around, and their passion for this film – shared by our incredible producing partners – has us even more eager to make this nightmare a reality.”

Zoe Saldana to Star in the Olympic-Themed Drama “Fencer”

Zoe Saldana is en garde for her next project…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress is set to star in writer-director Jasmine McGlade’s drama Fencer, which

Zoe Saldaña

HanWay Films will sell at the European Film Market (EFM).

Set in the competitive world of fencing, Saldana is attached to play Mae, an ambitious female athlete facing personal demons and childhood rivals as she vies for a spot on the U.S. Olympicteam. 

The film is inspired by McGlade’s own experiences as a national champion fencer. McGlade capped her tenure at Harvardby leading her team to the school’s first-ever NCAA Championshiptitle.

Casey Affleck is producing with Whitaker Lader

Imagine Entertainmentwill executive produce. UTA Independent Film Group and CAA Media Financeare co-repping the U.S.

McGlade commented, “As a writer and filmmaker I seek to tell brazen, character-driven stories about people who are flawed, and thus real. Especially women. Characters who are their own worst enemies and yet incredibly resilient. Fencer is a celebration of perseverance and sacrifice, while also a cautionary tale about the dangers of getting one’s sense of worth and security solely through achievement and external validation. Fencer will provide one of the screen’s first realistic glimpses into the thrilling world of fencing, much more demanding and diverse than stereotypes may suggest, and an intimate and intense look into the minds and lives of female athletes. It is a dream come true to get to work with Zoe on Fencer, and to marry my two greatest passions: filmmaking and fencing.”

Saldana’s credits include the Star Trek franchise, the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Avatar and its upcoming sequels, and Colombiana.

Salma Hayek to Star in Sally Potter’s Latest, Still-Untitled Film

Salma Hayek is embracing the drama…

The 52-year-old Mexican actress has joined the impressive cast for The Party and Orlando writer-director Sally Potter’s latest film.

Salma Hayek

In addition to the Frida star, the cast for the untitled drama includes Javier BardemElle FanningChris Rock and Laura Linney.

Production is underway in Spain on the feature; it will also shoot on location in New York in January.

The untitled drama follows 24 turbulent hours in the life of father and daughter Leo (Bardem) and Molly (Fanning) as she grapples with the challenges of dealing with her father’s apparently chaotic mental state. As they weave their way around New York City, their ordinary but stressful day takes on a hallucinatory and epic quality as Leo is flowing in and out of several parallel lives; a passionate marriage with his childhood sweetheart Dolores (Hayek) in Mexico; a struggling career as a drummer in Manhattan with his more successful lover, Adam (Rock); and a life of solitude on a remote Greek island, where a chance encounter with two young tourists unmasks some uncomfortable truths.

HanWay Films Vice Chairman Peter Watson commented, “We’re thrilled to continue our relationship with Sally Potter and to help her realise this mesmerising story of one man’s life distilled into a day in New York. We’re also particularly excited to be partnering under a worldwide deal with our colleagues at Bleecker Street who share our taste in cinema.”