Tag Archives: Zach Woods

Aubrey Plaza to Star in the Drama “The Accompanist”

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Aubrey Plaza is preparing to help protect children’s health and well-being…

The 40-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress and comedian will lead the under-the-radar drama The Accompanist alongside Susan Surrandon and Everly Carganilla.

Aubrey PlazaActor, writer, director and comedian Zach Woods is making his feature directorial debut.

Mister Smith Entertainment is handling international sales on the film, which is currently in post-production. CAA Media Finance and Gersh are handling North American sales.

The synopsis reads: “When 9-year-old Emily (Carganilla) accidentally tells her school nurse that her dementia-stricken grandpa almost got them killed, a rookie child-welfare agent Sarah (Plaza) is sent to their house to investigate. A botched extraction ensues and Emily is taken and placed with Sylvia, a new foster parent. Sylvia (Susan Sarandon) is mysterious, witchy, funny, and unpredictable. Her natural warmth and playfulness are complicated by the fact that she is haunted by visitations from her past. As Emily and Sylvia grow closer, their worlds, dreams, and visions begin to overlap. As their friendship deepens, they must decide how much they are willing to risk— whether their burgeoning love is worth the ghosts that it seems to summon.”

Produced in association with Aubrey Plaza’s Evil Hag Productions and Cinereach, the film’s screenplay was co-written by Woods and Brandon Gardner, both alumni of the US comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade. The pair have collaborated previously on short films including David, starring Will Ferrell, which was nominated for the Short Film Palme D’Or at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival and winner of the Grand Prix at the Bilbao International Film Festival of Short Films. The movie also reunites Woods and Gardner with actress Carganilla, who starred opposite Michael Peña in their short film, Bud.

Michael Sagol, Managing Director at Caviar, says: “Zach is both irrepressibly creative and irrepressibly funny. After seeing both of his short films we were floored by how well-crafted and moving the stories were, which led to us inquiring about what he was turning his attention to next – an amazing personal script called The Accompanist. We’re so proud to be bringing Zach’s first feature to life together.”

Mister Smith Entertainment’s David Garrett commented: “The script itself has a unique voice, and the attachment of Susan, Aubrey and Everly to the project will bring magic to an already beautifully honed story, in the hands of the talented Mr. Woods.”

IFC Films & AMC+ Acquire North American Rights to Aubrey Plaza’s “Spin Me Round”

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Aubrey Plaza will be spinning into theaters this summer…

IFC Films and AMC+ have acquired the North American rights to Jeff Baena’s Spin Me Round, starring the 37-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/comedian.

Aubrey Plaza, Spin Me RoundThe film, which made its world premiere at SXSW last month, will open in theaters and VOD and stream exclusively on AMC+ this summer.

Spin Me Round represents filmmaker Baena’s reteam with Alison Brie, Plaza and Molly Shannon, who star in the film.

Brie co-wrote and produced Spin Me Round, in which she plays the manager of an Italian restaurant chain who wins the opportunity to attend the franchise’s educational immersion program in Italy. What she thought would be a romantic getaway devolves into chaos and catastrophe.

Baena and Brie previously teamed on Horse Girl, she starred in and co-wrote with Baena, who also directed. Brie also appeared in Baena’s The Little Hours and Joshy. Plaza has starred in Baena’s The Little Hours, Joshy and Life After Beth. Shannon starred in Baena’s Little Hours, Horse Girl and Life After Beth.

Spin Me Round also marks the third IFC Films feature with Brie, who most recently starred in The Rental, the Dave Franco-directed thriller that was a hit at drive-ins nationwide and on VOD in the summer of 2020, when a majority of theaters were closed down due to COVID-19; that pic grossed $1.6M.

Rounding out the cast is Alessandro Nivola, Zach Woods, Ayden Mayeri, Ben Sinclair, Tim Heidecker, Debby Ryan and Fred Armisen.

Spin Me Round is a Duplass Brothers and Limelight Production. Limelight’s Chris Parker and Dylan Sellers produced and fully funded Spin Me Round.

“We have long admired Jeff Baena’s films and are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with him and his incredible filmmaking team on this fun and hilarious ride,” said Arianna Bocco, President of IFC Film. “Jeff, Alison and the Duplass Brothers are true creative geniuses and icons of independent cinema, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience this all-star cast over the summer.”

Baena added: “I was really impressed with Arianna and her team’s passion, thoughtfulness and innovation coupled with their track record of ushering in so many incredible independent films. I’m so grateful to have an opportunity to finally partner with IFC Films and share Spin Me Round with the world.”

Courtney Thomasma, General Manager of AMC+, said: “Spin Me Round is the perfect summer fare for our subscribers, who continue to come to AMC+ as a premium destination for compelling new feature films with their favorite stars. We are huge fans of Alison Brie, who our audience knows well from the iconic Mad Men, and we’re excited to be working with her, Jeff Baena and the entire producing team on this delightful new movie.”

Aubrey Plaza to Star in the Indie Comedy “Spin Me Round”

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Aubrey Plaza is going for a Spin…

The 36-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress will star in Spin Me Round, an indie comedy directed by Jeff Baena from a script he wrote with Alison Brie, who will also star.

Aubrey Plaza

In addition to Plaza, best known for her work on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, and Brie, the cast also includes Alessandro Nivola, Molly Shannon and Lil Rel Howery.

The film will be produced by the Duplass Brothers Productions and Limelight, the latter of which is fully financing the picture. Production begins next month in Italy.

Tim Heidecker, Ben Sinclair, Fred Armisen, Ayden Mayeri, Debby Ryan, Zach Woods, Ego Nwodim, Lauren Weedman, and Jake Picking round out the cast.

Brie plays the manager of the Bakersfield, California franchise of the Italian chain eatery Tuscan Grove. She wins an all-expenses trip to the company’s gorgeous “institute” outside of Florence, Italy, and the chance to meet the restaurant chain’s wealthy and charismatic owner (Nivola). Along with a mismatched group of local American franchise managers, Amber finds a far different adventure than the romantic fantasy she had imagined.

Trailer Released for Eugenio Derbez’s “The Angry Birds Movie 2”

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Eugenio Derbezwill be flying high this August…

The trailer for The Angry Birds Movie 2, with the 57-year-old Mexican actor as part of the voice cast, has been released.

Eugenio Derbez

Here’s what’s on the bill: When a new threat emerges that puts both Bird and Pig Island in danger, Red (Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride) and Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage) recruit Chuck’s sister Silver (Rachel Bloom) and team up with pigs Leonard (Bill Hader), his assistant Courtney (Awkwafina) and techpig Garry (Sterling K. Brown) to forge an unsteady truce and form an unlikely superteam to save their homes.

In addition to Derbez, who voices the character of Glenn, Bloom, Brown and Awkwafina, the newbie birds for Round 2 are Leslie Jones, Zach Woods, Lil Rel Howery, Pete Davidson, Beck Bennett, Nicki Minaj, Brooklynn Princeand Dove Cameron.

First-time feature director Thurop Van Ormanfeathers the nest from a script by Ice Age franchise veteran Peter Ackerman. 

Sony Picturesopens the toon in 2- and 3D on August 16.

2016’s The Angry Birds Movie earned $352.3 million worldwide.

Peña Named to Voice Cast of Warner Bros.’ “The Lego Ninjago Movie”

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Michael Peña has bricked his next role…

The 40-year-old Mexican American actor has been added to the main voice cast of Warner Bros.’ The Lego Ninjago Movie.

Michael Pena

Led by Jackie Chan, the all-star cast includes Peña, Dave Franco, Justin Theroux, Fred Armisen, Abbi Jacobson, Olivia Munn, Kumail Nanjiani and Zach Woods.

Based on the line of Lego construction sets, The Lego Ninjago Movie follows Lloyd, member of a group of young warriors and Lego master builders who, with their kung fu master Wu, must defend Ninjago City against the evil warlord Garmadon. Complicating matters is the fact that Garmadon happens to be Lloyd’s father. With mech fighting mech and father fighting son, the undisciplined team of modern-day ninjas will learn to check their egos and pull together to save the city.

Chan stars as Wu, Franco is playing Lloyd, and Theroux voices Garmadon. Rounding out the cast of characters are Munn as Lloyd’s mother, with Armisen, Jacobson, Nanjiani, Peña and Woods voicing the rest of Lloyd’s secret ninja team.

Set to hit theaters September 22, 2017, The Lego Ninjago Movie is directed by Charlie Bean in his feature debut.

Tom & Bill Wheeler are rewriting the script originally penned by Hilary Winston, Bob Logan and Paul Fisher from a story by Kevin Hageman, Dan Hageman and Winston, Logan and Fisher.

Warner Bros. will distribute worldwide.