Common Joins Charlie Day’s Hollywood Satire ‘El Tonto’ (original) (raw)
EXCLUSIVE: Count Oscar winner Common in for Charlie Day‘s independent Hollywood satire El Tonto. Common’s role is being kept under wraps, and that’s because it’s a pivotal one.
In El Tonto, Day does double duty, directing his first feature and playing a mute simpleton who upon stepping off the bus for the first time in Los Angeles is thrust into stardom, only to ultimately lose it all. Filming wraps this week.
Common joins a huge ensemble cast that includes Day, Kate Beckinsale, Jason Sudeikis, Oscar winner Adrien Brody, Ken Jeong, Edie Falco, Ray Liotta, Jillian Bell, Travis Fimmel, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Glenn Howerton, Katherine McNamara, Dean Norris, Edy Ganem and John Malkovich.
Armory Films’ Christopher Lemole and Tim Zajaros (Mudbound, Arctic) are producing alongside Wrigley Pictures’ John Rickard (Rampage, Horrible Bosses) and Page Fifty-Four Pictures’ Alex Saks (The Florida Project, Wildlife). Armory Films is solely financing the feature we hear.
Armory’s past films include Joe Penna’s Arctic starring Mads Mikkelsen which premiered in Cannes where Bleeker Street acquired the US rights; Dee Rees’ four-time Oscar nominated feature Mudbound; and the Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair horror/thriller Mom and Dad, which premiered in the Midnight Madness section at last year’s TIFF.
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Rickard produced last spring’s Dwayne Johnson feature Rampage which reaped 426.3MattheglobalB.O.HepreviouslyworkedwithDayasaproduceronNewLine’sHorribleBossesfranchisewhichgrossedover426.3M at the global B.O. He previously worked with Day as a producer on New Line’s Horrible Bosses franchise which grossed over 426.3MattheglobalB.O.HepreviouslyworkedwithDayasaproduceronNewLine’sHorribleBossesfranchisewhichgrossedover317M WW between two pics. Saks recently produced the Oscar-nominated title The Florida Project, Thoroughbreds and last summer’s box office sleeper, The Book Club. Endeavor Content is handling _El Tonto_‘s global rights.
Common won an Oscar for the song “Glory” from Selma which he shared with John Legend. He has had a busy year starring in HBO’s Sundance acquisition The Tale, the Sarah Jessica Parker movie Here and Now, in 20th Century Fox’s The Hate U Give, Warner Bros.’ Smallfoot and Ocean’s Eight, and The Orchard’s All About Nina.
Common is repped by United Talent Agency and Oasis Entertainment Management Group.