Top 200 Most Anticipated Films for 2014: #153. Bill Pohlad’s Love and Mercy

Love and Mercy

Director: Bill Pohlad
Writer: Oren Moverman
Producers: Bill Pohlad, Claire Rudnick Polstein, John Wells, Brian Wilson
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Paul Dano, John Cusack, Jake Abel and Paul Giamatti

He has proven himself as an discerning producer (e.g: 12 Years A Slave, The Tree of Life, Into the Wild) and unlike his directing debut (1990’s Old Explorers) Pohlad is working from an Oren Moverman script, has got a solid acting team and has two of those major actors (John Cusack and Paul Dano) playing the Brian Wilson and a solid tech team for this uncharacteristic biopic.

Gist: This explores Brian Wilson’s life and explores his legendary battle with mental illness, as well as the love that keeps him alive. Paul Giamatti will play Brian Wilson’s therapist Dr. Eugene Landy, while John Cusack and Paul Dano are set to star as the troubled Beach Boys frontman during different points in his remarkable life.

Release Date: Filming began a little past the midway point last year and you can be sure that programmers from Cannes to Toronto have already found time to grab a first look. This will receive a red carpet showing wherever it premieres and should at that point be picked up for distribution.

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