Independent film legend Hal Hartley is returning to the director’s chair for Where To Land, a film being backed by Verdi Productions (Bleed For This). Hartley has been trying to get this project made for a while, launching a Kickstarter to raise money back in 2020 just before the pandemic hit. He has called the script “the best thing I’ve written.”
The film is a farce revolving around a well-regarded 58-year-old director of romantic comedies who wants to become assistant groundskeeper at a local cemetery and work outdoors for a change. Meanwhile, he thinks it’s important to have his last will and testament drawn up.
But his actor girlfriend thinks he must be dying and assumes he is just too brave to tell anyone. The rumor of his impending demise spreads and soon everyone he knows crowd into his small apartment to say their farewells.
Hartley became a major name in independent film circles in the 90s for his eclectic, unique work such as Trust, Simple Men, and The Unbelievable Truth. His latest film was 2014’s Ned Rifle with Aubrey Plaza, which concluded his Henry Fool trilogy.
Hartley said in a statement: “I’m very excited to be working with Verdi Productions to get Where to Land made. Their interest in the script was immediate and everyone with the company has been very encouraging.”
Chad A. Verdi (The Irishman) will produce along with Hartley himself, and Aaron Kaufman (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For).
Verdi Productions recently produced Savage Salvation starring Robert De Niro and John Malkovich, and Junction with Sophia Bush, Bryan Greenberg, and Griffin Dunne.
Verdi stated: “It is a sincere pleasure to work with a director of Hal Hartley‘s stature. We pride ourselves at providing complete artistic freedom while we fully support the production needs of the directors we work with. We look forward to see Hal bring his amazing screenplay to life.”
It will be great to see another film from Hartley, especially almost a decade after his last project and from a script that he seems really proud of. There’s no word on casting yet, but the film is scheduled to begin shooting in the spring of 2023 in Rhode Island.
#Peace.Love.WhereToLand
