PRODUCTIONS SCHEDULED FOR 2025
THE SEVENTH MOST IMPORTANT THING
SCREENPLAY: Kwame Kwei-Armah
BOOK AUTHOR: Shelley Pearsall
In 1963 Washington, D.C., the holiday season is clouded by JFK’s recent assassination. Thirteen-year-old Arthur Owens, grappling with his father’s recent passing, lashes out in anger at a local “Junk Man,” resulting in four months of community service. His community’s judgment leaves Arthur isolated, with schoolmates shunning him and teachers treating him as a lost cause. Assigned to collect junk, Arthur finds solace amongst the debris, some pieces stirring memories of his dad. Eventually, as Arthur witnesses these seemingly worthless objects transform into the “Junk Man’s” art, he embarks on a parallel journey, seeing value in himself and more than the lost soul reflected in everyone else’s eyes.
Amidst themes of healing and second chances, Arthur forms an unlikely bond with the “Junk Man,” who recognizes Arthur’s inherent worth. The story delves into the healing power of relationships and the importance of seeing beyond surface judgments. With a tone reminiscent of “UP” and “WONDER,” Arthur’s journey prompts reflection on the overlooked stories amidst life’s chaos. It raises the poignant question: amidst sensational headlines, what does it take to notice the quieter, more meaningful narratives hiding on the sidelines?
BUDGET: $20,000,000
PRODUCTION BEGINS: Early Spring 2026
RELEASE: Thanksgiving 2026
RABBIT HOLE
DIRECTOR: Maxine Peake
BOOK AUTHOR: Mark Billingham
Step into Fleet Ward, the psychiatric wing of an American hospital, and behold the grim underbelly of the US mental health circus. Tucked away in the heart of Central Florida’s “The Villages,” one of America’s largest retirement communities, the ward illustrates society’s knack for tossing aside the broken, the odd, and the forgotten, amongst the broken, the old, and the forgotten.
Alice Armitage, an animated tenant who was once a cop, or so she claims, is wrestling with life behind padded walls after a messy bout with PTSD, a dab of self-medication, and a full-blown meltdown. Swapping her holster for a straitjacket, she’s the star attraction in this circus of the damned.
When a fellow inmate is murdered, Alice dons her detective hat, and takes on the case. But when her prime suspect becomes the second victim, her life begins to unravel as she realizes that she cannot trust anyone, least of all herself.
In the gripping conclusion, as Alice delves deeper into the shadows of her own psyche, she unravels a twisted truth that upends everything she thought she knew.
BUDGET: $15,000,000
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK
SCREENPLAY: Petter Skavlan
BOOK AUTHOR: Geraldine Brooks
Sarajevo is a city where for centuries people of all faiths and origins have lived harmoniously. But war challenges that peace and turns friends against each other.
In 1942, the Nazis sacked the city in search of antiquities of historic and monetary value, they were in search of the Sarajevo Haggadah. As significant a document as the dead sea scrolls, the Jewish and Muslim communities combine to work its safe passage out of the city.
Becoming a symbol of unity and peace, the story of how this ancient text bound together people fighting for their lives is inspiring, touching and resonant.
Recognized for her overseas coverage of the Gulf War, author Geraldine Brooks also won the Pulitzer Prize, the Indie Book Awards fiction prize, the Ainsfield-Wolf Book Awards, and many others.
BUDGET: $18,000,000