Toni Collette will star in the next film from director Catherine Hardwicke, an action-packed comedy called “Mafia Mamma.”
Collette will star in the comedy alongside Monica Bellucci and Rob Heubel as a suburban American woman who inherits her grandfather’s mafia empire.
The film is being presented to buyers at the American Film Market next month, with Cornerstone handling international sales and CAA Media Finance overseeing the U.S. sale.
Collette in the film plays a woman whose son is desperate to leave for college, whose boss is a sexist pig, and who caught her unsuccessful, musician husband cheating on her with a groupie. But her fortunes change when she receives a call from a woman who turns out to be her estranged grandfather’s trusted consigliere in the mob telling her she must attend her grandfather’s funeral in Italy. Collette then becomes the new boss of the fiercest mafia family in Calabria after the funeral explodes into a bloody gun fight.
Amanda Sthers, a French novelist, screenwriter and filmmaker, came up with the original idea for the story, and Debbie Jhoon and Michael J. Feldman wrote the screenplay. Production is scheduled to begin in late spring 2022 in Italy.
Collette will also produce “Mafia Mamma” under her Vocab Films banner together with Sthers through IDEA(L) and New Sparta’s Christopher Simon.
“I couldn’t be more excited to make this film with Catherine and the team. It is pure, fish out of water fun with a firm feminist backbone. I think we could all handle an uplifting, laugh out loud story like this right about now. Bring it on Italy,” Toni Collette said in a statement.
“Toni is one of the most versatile actresses on the planet – she can be intensely emotional, super- sexy and LOL hilarious,” Hardwicke added. “She’s going to dazzle as Kristin. And I personally relate to this woman who has to tap into her inner warrior and earn the respect of a bunch of men – especially after working in the film business. This story is empowering in the most fun way!”
“Mafia Mamma” will re-unite Hardwicke, Collette and Simon, who previously worked together on the comedy “Miss You Already” with Drew Barrymore from 2015. Collette will next be seen in “Nightmare Alley” from Guillermo Del Toro.
Collette is represented by CAA, Finley Management, United Management and Kimberly Jaime at Jackoway Austen. Bellucci is represented by Alexandra Schamis from AS Talents and Huebel by UTA. Hardwicke is represented by CAA and Dan Halstead at Manage-ment. Jhoon and Feldman are represented by Good Fear Content and Jeff Springer at Lichter, Grossman.