Keke Palmer and Sacha Baron Cohen have boarded “Super Toys,” the next film from “American Hustle” and “Amsterdam” director David O. Russell, sources have confirmed to IndieWire.
News of the film comes ahead of the European Film Market, which runs from February 16-22. FilmNation Entertainment will handle international sales of the feature during the market, a representative told IndieWire, while CAA Media Rights represents the film’s U.S. rights. Charles Roven and Matthew Budman serve as the producers of the project.
Russell will write and direct the feature, which stars Palmer and Cohen as 70’s toy sales reps “on a life and death mission to save themselves, their marriage and their live-wire twelve-year-old daughter, on the road in middle America,” per the logline.
“Super Toys” will be Russell’s 11th feature film (10th if you don’t count “Accidental Love,” the rom-com he quit and had his name removed from), and follows last year’s “Amsterdam.” That ensemble comedy starring Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot Robbie received negative reviews from critics and was a box office flop, grossing only $31.2 million on an $80 million budget. “Amsterdam” was Russell’s first film in seven years since 2015’s “Joy,” starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Although the director has received acclaim throughout his career — including five Oscar nominations in total for 2011’s “The Fighter,” 2013’s “Silver Linings Playbook,” and 2014’s “American Hustle” — he has been the subject of various controversies for his combative and unprofessional on-set behavior towards his actors, as well as an alleged 2011 incident where he sexually assaulted his niece.
Palmer is coming off of Jordan Peele’s “Nope” from last year, which also starred Daniel Kaluuya and Steven Yeun. She is also known for her supporting role in 2019’s “Hustlers,” her work as a child actor on Nickelodeon’s “True Jackson, VP,” and her hosting duties on shows such as “Password” and “GMA3.” She was also set to star in the Aziz Ansari film “Being Mortal,” before production was suspended following allegations of inappropriate behavior from Bill Murray on set.
Cohen is best known for the character of Borat, who he has portrayed in two films released in 2006 and 2020, both of which received Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod for his role in Netflix’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” and received several Emmy nominations for his series “Da Ali G Show” and “Who Is America?” He will next appear in the upcoming Apple TV+ series “Disclaimer,” a thriller created by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Cate Blanchett.
Deadline first reported the news of Russell’s film and Palmer and Cohen’s involvement.
News of the film comes ahead of the European Film Market, which runs from February 16-22. FilmNation Entertainment will handle international sales of the feature during the market, a representative told IndieWire, while CAA Media Rights represents the film’s U.S. rights. Charles Roven and Matthew Budman serve as the producers of the project.
Russell will write and direct the feature, which stars Palmer and Cohen as 70’s toy sales reps “on a life and death mission to save themselves, their marriage and their live-wire twelve-year-old daughter, on the road in middle America,” per the logline.
“Super Toys” will be Russell’s 11th feature film (10th if you don’t count “Accidental Love,” the rom-com he quit and had his name removed from), and follows last year’s “Amsterdam.” That ensemble comedy starring Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot Robbie received negative reviews from critics and was a box office flop, grossing only $31.2 million on an $80 million budget. “Amsterdam” was Russell’s first film in seven years since 2015’s “Joy,” starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Although the director has received acclaim throughout his career — including five Oscar nominations in total for 2011’s “The Fighter,” 2013’s “Silver Linings Playbook,” and 2014’s “American Hustle” — he has been the subject of various controversies for his combative and unprofessional on-set behavior towards his actors, as well as an alleged 2011 incident where he sexually assaulted his niece.
Palmer is coming off of Jordan Peele’s “Nope” from last year, which also starred Daniel Kaluuya and Steven Yeun. She is also known for her supporting role in 2019’s “Hustlers,” her work as a child actor on Nickelodeon’s “True Jackson, VP,” and her hosting duties on shows such as “Password” and “GMA3.” She was also set to star in the Aziz Ansari film “Being Mortal,” before production was suspended following allegations of inappropriate behavior from Bill Murray on set.
Cohen is best known for the character of Borat, who he has portrayed in two films released in 2006 and 2020, both of which received Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod for his role in Netflix’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” and received several Emmy nominations for his series “Da Ali G Show” and “Who Is America?” He will next appear in the upcoming Apple TV+ series “Disclaimer,” a thriller created by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Cate Blanchett.
Deadline first reported the news of Russell’s film and Palmer and Cohen’s involvement.