Fisher Stevens, who directed “Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds,” has signed on to direct the independent drama “Palmer” for Route One Entertainment. Shooting will start by the end of June.
Stevens recently co-directed the HBO documentary “Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds” and National Geographic’s “Before the Flood,” featuring Leonardo DiCaprio. He won the Independent Spirit Award for co-directing and producing the documentary “Crazy Love” and won the Academy Award for producing the documentary “The Cove” in 2010.
Written by Cheryl Guerriero (“Hunting Season”), “Palmer” centers on an ex-con who returns to his hometown and forms an unexpected bond with a young boy abandoned by his junkie mother. The script was optioned by Route One last year and subsequently named to the 2016 Blacklist.
“Fisher’s success as an actor, film and theater director and documentary producer/director is truly unique in the business,” said Route One CEO Russell Levine. “It gives us tremendous confidence in his ability to make ‘Palmer’ a very special film.”
Levine will be at the Cannes Film Festival to handle sales. “Palmer” was brought into Route One by Sophia Dilley, its director of development and production. Dilley will co-produce. Chris Lytton will executive produce along with Guerriero.
Stevens’ recent acting roles include the HBO series “Vice Principals, “The Night Of,” NBC’s “The Blacklist” as well as the Coen Brothers film “Hail Caesar!” and Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” He also directed “Stand Up Guys,” starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin.
In 2010, Stevens co-founded Insurgent Media, producers of the 2012 SXSW Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary “Beware of Mr. Baker,” “Blank City,” “Woody Allen: A Documentary” and Netflix’s “Mission Blue,” which he also directed.
Stevens is represented by CAA and Untitled. Guerriero is represented by Heroes and Villains Entertainment. The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
