Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Jim Field Smith’s Butter

#39. Butter

Director: Jim Field Smith
Writer(s): Jason Micallef
Producers: Michael De Luca, Jennifer Garner, Juliana Janes and Alissa Phillips
Distributor: The Weinstein Co.

The Gist: Set in a small Midwest town, this follows a young orphan who named Destiny, after being adopted by a Midwestern family, discovers she has an uncanny talent for butter-carving. She eventually finds herself up against the ambitious wife (Garner) of the retired reigning champion in a town’s annual butter-sculpting contest...(more)

Cast: Rob Corddry, Jennifer Garner, Ashley Greene, Kate Hudson, Hugh Jackman, Alicia Silverstone, Olivia Wilde and Yara Shahidi.

List Worthy Reasons…: We’re big on this top BlackList screenplay (# 3 in 2008) and think this might turn out to be a Best in Show type of movie-going experience as it is heavy on the obsessive compulsive competitive folks we sometimes find in middle America. Strong ensemble cast could make these nutty characters a joy to watch, and could pan out to translate well on film depending all on the overall tone.

Release Date/Status?: The film is complete – Weinsteins will weigh their options. Summer release would be fitting.