“Dear Zoe,” the coming-of-age drama starring “Stranger Things” actress Sadie Sink, has been acquired by Byron Allen’s Freestyle Digital Media and will hit theaters and digital platforms on Nov. 4, 2022.
Sink stars as Tess, a young woman grappling with the immeasurable and shattering death of her younger sister, Zoe (Mckenzie Noel Rusiewicz). As her mother (Jessica Capshaw), stepfather (Justin Bartha) and sister (Vivien Lyra Blair) each grieve in their own ways, Tess seeks support from two outsiders: her biological father, Nick (Theo Rossi) and Jimmy (Kweku Collins), a juvenile delinquent who lives in the neighborhood.
Directed by Gren Wells (“The Road Within”), “Dear Zoe” was scripted by Marc Lhormer (“Bottle Shock”) and Melissa Martin (“A Wedding For Bella”) based on the novel by Phillip Beard. Lhormer and Brenda Lhormer produced for their company Zin Haze Productions.
“This is a universal story of loss and healing,” said Bill Vergos, Freestyle Digital Media’s Head of Digital Film Distribution. “You get to feel the full range of emotions as with all great films, and that’s how we knew we wanted to be part of it. Not to mention, Sadie’s performance is outstanding.”
Sink has played Max Mayfield in the Netflix juggernaut series “Stranger Things” since 2017 and will next appear in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.” Rossi has several projects in the works, including the upcoming Aubrey Plaza-starring Sundance thriller “Emily the Criminal.” Capshaw played Dr. Arizona Robbins on “Grey’s Anatomy” for nearly a decade and recently appeared in “Holidate” with Emma Roberts. “National Treasure” star Justin Bartha will reprise his role in Disney+’s serialized expansion of the Nicholas Cage films. Blair recently featured in “Obi-Wan Kenobi” as Leia Organa.
“Dear Zoe” marks the acting debut of Rusiewicz and musician Collins.
Freestyle Digital Media negotiated the deal to acquire “Dear Zoe” directly with producers Brenda and Marc Lhormer and Babacar Diene of Paradigm Talent Agency.