A New Musical Drama Gains Momentum
Searchlight Pictures has made a significant move in the film industry by acquiring the rights to The Testament of Ann Lee, a musical drama directed and written by Mona Fastvold. The film, which stars Amanda Seyfried, is set for a theatrical release later this year across North America and most of the world. This acquisition marks an important step in bringing the story of a pivotal historical figure to a wider audience.
In the film, Seyfried, known for her role in Les Misérables, portrays Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers—a radical religious movement that emerged in the late 1700s. The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim, with particular praise for Seyfried's performance. Many industry observers believe that this could be a strong contender for Best Actress at major award ceremonies.
The cast also includes Thomasin McKenzie from Jojo Rabbit, Lewis Pullman from Top Gun: Maverick, Tim Blake Nelson from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Christopher Abbott from Poor Things, and Stacy Martin from The Brutalist. The film brings together several talents who previously worked on The Brutalist, another acclaimed film directed by Brady Corbet, who is married to Fastvold. In this project, Corbet serves as producer and co-writer, while Fastvold takes on the director’s role. The score is composed by Daniel Blumberg, who won an Oscar for his work on The Brutalist.
Production Details and Financial Aspects
The production budget for The Testament of Ann Lee is reported to be in the range of $10–$11 million. The deal between CAA Media Finance and Searchlight Pictures reportedly landed in the mid-to-high seven-figure range. Key executives involved in the deal include Chan Phung, Paul Hoffman, and Don Hardison from Searchlight.
Ann Lee, born in Manchester in 1736, was a charismatic leader who founded the Shakers. Her movement was known for its ecstatic singing and dancing, which led to the group being called "Shakers" due to the physical shaking that accompanied their worship. Persecuted in England for her unconventional form of worship and her challenges to the doctrines of the established church, she migrated to America in 1774 with a small group of followers. There, she continued her mission to spread the teachings of the Shaker movement.
A Diverse Team of Producers
The film is produced by a team of notable names, including Oscar nominee Andrew Morrison, Joshua Horsfield, Viktória Petrányi, Fastvold, Corbet, Gregory Jankilevitsch, Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska, Lillian LaSalle, and Mark Lampert. The list of executive producers is equally impressive, featuring names such as Megan Ellison, Patrick Chu, Christopher Renteria, Tom Ogden, Diana Chen, Brantley Gong, Jesse Ozeri, Vincent Peone, Kyle Stroud, Zach Verdin, Dave Guenette, Scott Aharoni, Alihan Yalcindag, Sinan Eczacibasi, Saskia Duff, David Kaplan, Oleg Nodelman, Marcin Czernik, Claude Amadeo, Randal Sandler, Michael D'Alto, Chris Triana, Adam Paulsen, Michael Fowler, Zelene Fowler, Heather Nodelman, Marc Iserlis, and The Burger Family.
Other Recent Updates
In related news, Cate Blanchett's upcoming film Sweetsick at Searchlight Pictures has added Spike Fearn to its cast. Additionally, Hannah Simone and Iqbal Theba have joined the cast of Super Troopers 3, further expanding the star power of these projects.
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