In the latest deal to come out of Sundance, A24 has purchased the new gambling drama Mississippi Grind starring Ryan Reynolds (Safe House),Ben Mendelsohn (The Place Beyond The Pines), and Sienna Miller (American Sniper), according to Deadline.
The film follows a down-on-his-luck gambler (Mendelsohn) who teams up with a younger poker player (Reynolds) to take a road trip through the casinos of the American Southeast. The acquisition is notable for A24, which has quickly risen into indie prominence with last year’s Obvious Child and Locke, as well as 2013’s Spring Breakers and The Spectacular Now. The film’s production company, Sycamore Productions, also has notable releases to their name including The Way Way Back and the Oscar-nominated Begin Again.
Similarly, Reynolds has been taking smaller projects. The trailer for his new dark comedy The Voices dropped earlier this month and the Van Wilder actor will soon be seen as lawyer fighting to get Nazi-stolen paintings back to their rightful owner in Woman in Gold. The hottest actor in the film right now though is Miller, who is fresh off her performance in American Sniper and will be in the the upcoming comedy Unfinished Business.
Mississippi Grind is the fifth project for which writers and directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden have teamed up. The pair have previously worked on the teaching drama Half Nelson as well as the coming-of-age comedy It’s Kind of a Funny Story. Both projects drew acclaim for Ryan Gosling and Zach Galifianakis respectively. Gosling earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as drug-addicted middle-school teacher in Half Nelson. Perhaps Reynolds or Mendelsohn will earn similar recognition for their performances in Mississippi Grind.
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