Dukakis
MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine and Olympia Dukakis are headed for a grandma gang, toplining dark comedy "Poor Things" with Ash Baron Cohen directing.
MacLaine will also produce with Rob Hickman through his newly minted Still Rolling Prods. Shooting's expected to start in May.
Trent Haaga's script was inspired by real news events and crime scandals surrounding recent arrests and convictions of elderly women for various "grandma gang" exploits, which have included scams and cons involving drug sales, insurance fraud and murder.
Dukakis is in early negotiations for the part. MacLaine will be seen next in "Closing the Ring," a drama directed by Richard Attenborough centered on a WWII pilot who crashed near Belfast and asked the man who found him to return his ring to his girlfriend in America.
"Poor Things" marks the first production for Still Rolling, which plans to develop and produce five projects over the next three years in the $5 million to $10 million budget range. Prior to establishing Still Rolling, Hickman financed and produced DVD product campaigns focused on bonding celebrities with entertainment, sports and educational properties.
Baron Cohen is the cousin of Sacha Baron Cohen. He and MacLaine are repped by ICM and Dukakis is repped by WMA.
Contact Dave McNary at
dave.mcnary@variety.com