Michael Shannon is set to star in a romantic coming-of-age drama from director Howard Deutch (“Pretty in Pink”) that Fortitude will present to buyers at the Cannes Film Festival, the company announced Wednesday.
Shannon will star in “Swing,” which has been compared to “Friday Night Lights” and “Dead Poets Society.” The story is set in 1999 and tells the story of a group of friends and crew teammates in their last year of college, whose lives are changed forever when a Vietnam vet (Shannon) takes over as coach of their dysfunctional team.
Vojin Gjaja, a Ranger-qualified former armor officer in the United States Army, wrote the screenplay based on his own experiences as an oarsman at Columbia University.
Principal photography will begin in September in New Jersey, and Fortitude will introduce the film to buyers at the upcoming Cannes market. Casting is currently underway for the film’s remaining leads.
“Swing” is produced by Lucas Jarach, Robert Ogden Barnum, Daniel Dávila, Shannon and Byron Wetzel. Fortitude’s Nadine de Barros is executive producing alongside Gjaja.
“Michael is a brilliant actor paired with Howard’s directing precision, audiences will be riveted by the passion and emotional resonance of ‘Swing,’” de Barros said in a statement.
Shannon will next be seen in Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out,” and is also attached to star in “Echo Boomers,” which Fortitude is also introducing to buyers at Cannes. Fortitude’s additional Cannes lineup includes Dennis Dugan’s “Love and Other Disasters” and “JT Leroy” with Kristen Stewart.
Michael Shannon is represented by Wetzel Entertainment Group, CAA and Morris, Yorn, Barnes, Levine, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner & Gellman; Howard Deutch by Echo Lake Entertainment and Verve Talent and Literary Agency.