Hot off the heels of her turn as con artist-with-a-heart-of-gold Nikki Swango on FX’s “Fargo,” Mary Elizabeth Winstead has booked her next role — and it’s in a woman-helmed film. Winstead is set to star in Eva Vives’ feature directorial debut, the semi-autobiographical “All About Nina.” The “Smashed” actress will portray the titular character, a professionally successful but personally dissatisfied stand-up comedian. Deadline broke the story.
“To escape a difficult ex and to prepare for a prospectively life-changing audition, Nina flees to Los Angeles where she meets Rafe (Common, ‘Selma’),” the source summarizes, “who challenges almost every preconception she has — including those around her own deeply troubled past.”
“All About Nina’s” supporting cast includes Kate Del Castillo (“Ingobernable”), Clea DuVall (“Veep”), Melonie Diaz (“Fruitvale Station”), Camryn Manheim (“Person of Interest”), Mindy Sterling (“Black-ish”), Angelique Cabral (“Band Aid”), Beau Bridges (“Masters of Sex”), Chace Crawford (“Gossip Girl”), and Jay Mohr (“Suburgatory”).
Deadline doesn’t specify, but it’s likely Vives will pen as well as direct the dark comedy, which originated at the 2016 Sundance Institute’s Screenwriters and Directors Labs. Vives will also produce with Diablo Entertainment’s Natalie Qasabian, Eric B. Fleischman, and Sean Tabibian. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Joshua Astrachan are exec producing.
Vives has previously directed the shorts “Me, Myself, & I,” “She Pedals Fast (For a Girl),” and “Join the Club.” She worked as a producer, editor, and casting director on the Sundance and Cannes awarding-winning short “Five Feet High and Rising.”
Winstead was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for playing an alcoholic trying to stay sober in “Smashed.” Her recent credits include “Mercy Street,” “BrainDead,” and “10 Cloverfield Lane.” She received a Saturn Award for her work in the latter.
