The prolific multi-hyphenate Phoebe Waller-Bridge and actress Fiona Shaw have closed deals to join the ensemble cast of John Krasinski‘s upcoming untitled fantasy comedy for Paramount.
Krasinski is writing and directing the high-profile title, in addition to starring opposite Ryan Reynolds, as previously announced. The pic is set to open on Nov. 17, 2023, the beginning of the lucrative Thanksgiving corridor, and will begin shooting in summer 2022.
Plot details are being kept under tight wraps, but the story is based on an original idea of Krasinski’s about a child’s journey to rediscover their imagination.
Waller-Bridge is the Emmy-winning creator of the hit British series Fleabag and AMC/BBC’s Killing Eve (she also starred in the former).
The British writer-actress-producer is currently in production on Indiana Jones 5 and recently contributed to the script of the recent James Bond film, No Time to Die. She also exec produces the upcoming final season of AMC/BBC America’s Killing Eve.
Waller-Bridge and Shaw are hardly strangers; Shaw starred in Waller-Bridge’s acclaimed series, Killing Eve and guest-starred in Fleabag (she earned Emmy nominations for both).
Shaw’s credits include playing Aunt Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter movies and Ammonite. Upcoming, the Irish actress appears in the Andor Star Wars series for Disney+.
Krasinski is producing the untitled film with his Sunday Night partners Allyson Seeger and Andrew Form. Reynolds is also a producer via his company, Maximum Effort, while Maximum Effort’s George Dewey will executive produce.
Both Krasinski and Reynolds’ production banners have first-look deals with Paramount. The Maximum Effort pact was struck when former 20 Century Fox production chief Emma Watts — who shepherded Reynolds’ Deadpool franchise — came to Paramount in mid-2020 (she recently departed).
Waller-Bridge is represented by UTA, Independent Talent, Hatton McEwan Penford in the U.K. and Ziffren Brittenham. Shaw is repped by ICM Partners and Independent Talent Group in the U.K.
Source: HollyWood
