Sidney Hall (film)
| Sidney Hall | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Shawn Christensen |
| Produced by | Jonathan Schwartz |
| Screenplay by |
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| Starring | |
| Music by | Darren Morze |
| Cinematography | Daniel Katz |
| Edited by | Sabine Hoffman |
Production companies |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Sidney Hall is an upcoming American drama film directed and co-written by Shawn Christensen. The film stars Logan Lerman, Elle Fanning, Michelle Monaghan, Kyle Chandler, Nathan Lane, Blake Jenner, Margaret Qualley and Tim Blake Nelson.
Principal photography of the film began in late April 2016.[1]
Premise
A young novelist, Sidney Hall, writes a generation-defining book that makes him world-famous. This sets him on a downward spiral that destroys him, as he is depicted from the ages of eighteen, twenty-four and thirty.[2]
Cast
- Logan Lerman as Sidney Hall
- Elle Fanning as Melody
- Michelle Monaghan as Mrs. Hall
- Kyle Chandler as The Searcher
- Nathan Lane as Harold
- Blake Jenner as Brett Newport
- Margaret Qualley as Alexandra
- Tim Blake Nelson as Johan
Production
Development
While touring alongside The Killers in the United States with his band, Stellastarr, Shawn Christensen wrote a number of short stories that he shared with his friend, Paul Wesley. Alongside Jason Dolan, he compiled the stories into a spec script called Sidney Hall, which Wesley described in an interview as, "one of the most beautiful things [he] ever read in [his] life".[3] Wesley presented the screenplay to William Morris Endeavor, which signed both Christensen and Dolan.[2] The screenplay for Sidney Hall was first reported to have been acquired through a discretionary fund by Scott Free Productions in 2008.[4] Joe Russo was to direct, Ridley Scott and Tony Scott were to be the executive producers, Michael Costigan was to be the producer and Jim Sturgess was to play the titular character.[5]
After the release of Christensen's feature length directorial debut in 2014, Before I Disappear, Christensen looked to Sidney Hall as his next project, which had not seen active development by Fox Searchlight Pictures in five years.[2] A number of film production companies, including Fox Searchlight Pictures and Amazon Video, aggressively pursued rights to the film, but Christensen opted to have the film independently produced and financed.[6]
Casting
For casting the titular protagonist that Jim Sturgess was previously attached to portray, Shawn Christensen auditioned a significant number of young male actors, before twenty-four year-old Logan Lerman was cast to play the character for all three stages of his life portrayed.[6] According to Lerman, he was brought onto the project a year prior to the commencement of principal photography, to assist Christensen and producer Jonathan Schwartz with executive producing.[7] On April 13, 2016, Lerman's involvement with the project was revealed, along with Elle Fanning playing opposite of him.[8] On April 21, Michelle Monaghan, Kyle Chandler and Nathan Lane were announced to have joined the principal cast, as well.[6] Variety revealed on April 25 that Blake Jenner, Margaret Qualley and Tim Blake Nelson had joined the cast.[1]
Filming
Principal photography of the film began on April 22, 2016 at the Rockefeller State Park Preserve, in Pleasantville, New York.[1] The production team considered utilizing traditional photographic film, but opted for digital cinematography, due to the feasibility of utilizing it for an independent production. According to Logan Lerman, an excess of footage was captured, in order to create more options for the post-production stage.[7]
References
- 1 2 3 Kroll, Justin (April 25, 2016). "Blake Jenner, Margaret Qualley and Tim Blake Nelson Join 'Sidney Hall' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Reynolds, Matthew Wade (December 24, 2014). "How do you convert an Oscar-winning short into a feature?". Creative Screenwriting Magazine. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ↑ Radish, Christina (March 12, 2014). "Paul Wesley Talks BEFORE I DISAPPEAR, His First Experience as a Producer, Directing an Episode of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, and More SXSW". Collider.com. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
- ↑ Kit, Borys (September 10, 2008). "Shawn Christensen sells his "Karma"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ↑ Siegel, Tatianna (September 10, 2008). "WB, Lin join Christensen's "Coalition"". Variety. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- 1 2 3 Kroll, Justin (April 21, 2016). "Logan Lerman and Elle Fanning to Star in Shawn Christensen's 'Sidney Hall' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- 1 2 Chitwood, Adam (July 28, 2016). "Logan Lerman on 'Indignation', His Intense Preparation, and Why Directing Is His Ultimate Goal". Collider.com. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
- ↑ Lyons, Josh (April 13, 2016). "{Exclusive} Logan Lerman and Elle Fanning Join Shawn Christensen's Drama "Sidney Hall"". The Tracking Board. Retrieved April 13, 2016.