John Cusack in Talks to Star With J.K. Simmons in ‘My Only Sunshine’

By Leo Barraclough

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – John Cusack is in talks to star alongside J.K. Simmons in director Mark Palansky’s dark comic heist thriller “My Only Sunshine.” XYZ Films will handle worldwide sales at the Berlin Film Festival.

In the film, Cusack plays one half of a passionately dysfunctional couple, who orchestrate a bank robbery as an unconventional act of bloodthirsty marriage counseling. Trying to make peace with the shocking mystery of their relationship throughout a violent hostage situation is a cop hostage negotiator (Simmons), who previously investigated a past related murder.

The film was written by J.T. Petty and K. Reed Petty, and is produced by Circle of Confusion‘s Matt Smith and Lawrence Mattis, and Michael Mendelsohn from Patriot Pictures. Mendelsohn’s Union Patriot Capital Management is fully financing.

Petty, Natalie Perrotta, and Jim Steele will be executive producing. Production is scheduled to start spring/summer 2020.

Palansky is known for directing “Penelope,” starring Christina Ricci, Richard E. Grant and Catherine O’Hara, and “Rememory,” starring Peter Dinklage.