Film News Roundup: India Eisley’s Drama ‘Adolescence’ Finds Distribution

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – In today’s film news roundup, India Eisley-Mickey River drama “Adolescence” gets distribution and romance “Castle of Water” and horror short “They Hear It” are in development. 

DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS

North of Two has acquired worldwide distribution rights to the dark coming-of-age drama “Adolescence,” starring and Mickey River with Ashley Avis directing, Variety has learned exclusively.

The film was produced by Winterstone Pictures and is set to make its festival debut this fall. River portrays a shy teenager who falls in love with a beautiful, enigmatic runaway, played by Eisley, and is lured away from his bland life and into her vibrant and unpredictable world. He slips down a progressively dark path, filled with raging parties, drugs, and eventually heroin addiction.

The cast also includes Romeo Miller, Tommy Flanagan, Elisabeth Rohm, Jere Burns, Ever Carradine, Michael Milford, and Zac Brown Band member John Driskell Hopkins.

The film was produced by Edward Winters and Larry Hummel, and executive produced by Michael Milford, Mark Cartier, and Lars Anderson. The story was written by the writing team of River & Cal Barnes, with the screenplay being written by Barnes, River, Chris Rossi, and Avis.

Eisley’s credits include “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” Avis is represented by Jon Brown of Ensemble Entertainment and Ryan Goodell of Morris Yorn.

PROJECT LAUNCHES

Producer Aaron Magnani has acquired the screen rights to Dane Huckelbridge’s novel “Castle of Water,” published by St. Martin’s Press, Variety has learned exclusively.

He will produce via Aaron Magnani Productions. Peter Arneson has written the adapted screenplay. Brendan Deneen will serve as executive producer.

The story is a romantic adventure in the vein of “Cast Away” and “The Notebook” as two survivors of a plane crash — an American man and a newly widowed French woman — struggle to live and love while marooned on a tropical Island.

“It’s a gripping story of loss, survival and love, full of surprising twists,” said Magnani. “Two characters of different cultures and sensibilities rescue each other, literally and figuratively, in a way unlike any survival tale I’ve come across.”

Magnani most recently served as executive producer on the Sundance drama “The Last Word,” starring Shirley MacLaine and Amanda Seyfried, and is partnered with Alysia Allen to produce a biopic about “Gone With the Wind” actress Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American actress to win an Academy Award. Magnani is repped by Paul Miloknay at Miloknay Weiner.

****

Legendary Entertainment and the Picture Company are developing a feature film based on Julian Terry’s horror short “They Hear It.”

Terry will make his directing debut on the project, centered on a terrifying noise called the Sound that attracts children when they hear it.

The Picture Company’s Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona will produce the film, and Jacob Chase will be executive producer. Terry won New Line’s short film contest to promote “Annabelle Creation” with a two-minute short he created about a horror character called the Nurse.

Terry and Chase are represented by Paradigm. Terry is also repped by Good Fear Film + Management and attorney Jeff Hynick. The news was first reported by Deadline.