Cannes Market Dailies

Acclaimed director and producer Fisher Stevens has signed on to direct the heartfelt drama Palmer, it was announced today by Route One Entertainment CEO and producer on the project Russell Levine. Stevens recently co-directed the Cannes 2016 Official Selection and HBO Documentary, Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. He also directed National Geographic’s critically acclaimed Before the Flood, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2008, he won the Independent Spirit Award for co-directing and producing the documentary Crazy Love and went on to win the Academy Award for producing the documentary The Cove in 2010.

Written by Cheryl Guerriero (Hunting Season), the film tells the story of an ex-con who returns to his hometown and forms an unexpected bond with a young boy abandoned by his junkie mother. Palmer deftly addresses universal issues of self-identity, love and family in a world torn by intolerance. The script was optioned by Route One in the fall of 2016 and subsequently named to the 2016 Blacklist.

“Fisher’s success as an actor, film and theater director and documentary producer/director is truly unique in the business. It gives us tremendous confidence in his ability to make Palmer a very special film,” said Russell Levine. “We’re thrilled to be working with someone with who has such high standards in all aspects of the creative process.”

“It is rare that one reads a script and right away knows this is a film they have to make,” said Stevens. “That was my response after reading Palmer. It touched me to the core. I am grateful to Route One and Cheryl for trusting me to direct this incredible project.”

Palmer was brought into Route One by Director of Development and Production, Sophia Dilley, who will co-produce. Chris Lytton will executive produce along with Guerriero. The film is targeting a 2017 Q2 start date.

Fisher Stevens has been in the entertainment business for over 30 years as an actor, producer, and director.  His recent acting includes roles in the HBO series Vice Principals, HBO’s The Night Of, NBC’s The Blacklist, as well as the Coen Brothers film Hail Caesar! and Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. In addition to documentary films, Stevens has directed theatrical films (Stand Up Guys, starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin) and on Broadway (John Leguizamo’s Ghetto Klown). In 2010 Stevens co-founded Insurgent Media, producers of the 2012 SXSW Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary Beware of Mr. Baker, the critically acclaimed Blank City (about the 1970s New York underground film scene), American Masters’ Woody Allen: A Documentary and the Netflix Original Mission Blue, which he also directed.

Stevens is represented by CAA and Untitled. Guerriero is represented by Heroes and Villains Entertainment and Jackoway Tyerman.

ABOUT ROUTE ONE:

Route One Entertainment is an entertainment company with headquarters in Santa Monica, CA. The Company was founded in 2009 by CEO Russell Levine and lead investor Jeffrey W. Ubben, founder and CEO of ValueAct Capital, a $20B investment fund. Route One develops, finances and produces feature films, TV and digital entertainment projects aimed at domestic and global audiences. Route One’s recent films include The Circle (starring Tom Hanks and Emma Watson) being released April 28^th by STX, The Claim (written by Academy Award winner Damien Chazelle), box office hit Colossal (starring Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis) released by NEON, Landline (starring Jenny Slate, John Turturro and Edie Falco), and Tallulah (starring Ellen Page and Allison Janney).

www.routeoneent.com