Editorial Staff
Minamata
Johnny Depp will play war photographer W. Eugene Smith in Andrew Levita’s “Minamata” at HanWay Films. The story will start with Smith as a recluse, with the glory days of World War II far behind him. But an old friend and a commission from Life Magazine editor Ralph Graves convince him to journey back to Japan to expose a big story: the devastating annihilation of a coastal community through mercury poisoning. “Minamata” will start principal production in Japan followed by Serbia in January. (Variety)
How to Build a Girl
Emma Thompson and Chris O’Dowd have joined the Beanie Feldstein-starring adaptation of Caitlin Moran’s best-selling book.
The comedic coming-of-age story from director Coky Giedroyc is set in 1993, and sees Feldstein play Johanna Morrigan, a smart, opinionated and overweight 16-year-old. Hormones raging, she is desperate to get out of her hometown and make a name for herself — which she does, reinventing herself as Dolly Wilde, a rock music critic. Gaining notoriety as an enfant terrible, she finally figures out “how to build a girl.” But is this the girl she wanted to build? (THR)
Untitled Apple Drama
Steve Carell has joined Apple’s untitled morning show drama starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. Picked up with a two-season, 20-episode order, the project will offer an inside look at the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning. Carell will play Mitch Kessler, a morning show anchor who is struggling to maintain relevance in a changing media landscape. Production on the show is set to begin next week in Los Angeles. (THR)
