Kroll, Byrne & Cannavale Crash & Burn in Ross Katz’s Brother’s Keeper

A producer with exquisite taste (In the Bedroom and Lost in Translation are among the few items he has produced) with only the direct-to-HBO Taking Chance under his belt, it looks like after a couple of failed attempts to lift the book to film adaptation of The Amateur American, Ross Katz will now take on the reigns for a project that has actor Nick Kroll’s fingers all over it. THR reports that Katz will direct, Kroll and real-life couple Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale will star in Brother’s Keeper, an indie dramedy produced by Burn Later Productions’ Kroll, Sam Slater and Paul Bernon (Drinking Buddies), Through’ Film’s Marcus Cox and Karrie Cox and exec produced by Jared Goldman (upcoming The Skeleton Twins) and a pair of brothers who have their hands in many cookie jars in the Duplass bros. Shooting begins in January in New York.

Gist: Written by Jeff Cox and Liz Flahive, and based on a story by Kroll, Cox and Flahive, this is about a young, narcissistic entrepreneur who crashes and burns on the eve of his company’s launch. He leaves Manhattan to move in with his estranged, pregnant sister and his brother-in-law (to be played by real-life item Byrne and Cannavale) and his 3-year-old nephew, only to end up becoming their nanny.

Worth Noting: Main theme to take away here is brotherly love…while working with the Duplass Bros., Katz is onboard to exec-produce Pastor Bros.’ Strange But True.

Do We Care?: Because we’re of the camp that think producers might have just as much creative vision clout as your common director, we think that Katz (whose unique outing as a director was showcased at the Sundance Film Fest) might steer this dramedy in the right direction.