Father-daughter story “Mickey and the Bear” has found a home. Utopia acquired worldwide rights to Annabelle Attanasio’s feature debut just after it screened in Cannes’ ACID sidebar. Deadline broke the news. The pic made its world premiere at SXSW in March.
Set in Montana, “Mickey and the Bear” tells the story of Mickey (Camila Morrone), “a headstrong teen who is doing what she can to keep her single, veteran father Hank (James Badge Dale) afloat — navigating his mercurial moods, opioid addiction, and grief over the loss of his wife,” the source details. “Secretly, Mickey fantasizes of going to college on the West Coast and finally living life on her own terms. When Hank’s controlling, jealous behavior turns destructive, Mickey must decide between familial obligation and personal fulfillment as she puts everything on the line to claim her own independence.”
Morrone was last seen in Augustine Frizzell’s 2018 Sundance comedy “Never Goin’ Back.”
“’Mickey and the Bear’ heralds the arrival of the next generation of tremendous talent in front of and behind the camera,” said David Betesh, Utopia’s Head of Sales and Acquisitions.“We were awed by Annabelle’s artistic maturity, emotional intuition, and instinctive deftness with cast. James Badge Dale’s performance is electric as ever, and in Camila Morrone’s radiant performance, we strongly feel a star is born. We’re privileged to work with such a remarkable team, and we’re so excited to bring the film to audiences worldwide so they can fall head over heels for ‘Mickey and the Bear’ the way we have.”
Attanasio previously wrote and directed shorts “Safe Space” and “Frankie Keeps Talking,” among others. Also an actress, her on-screen credits include “Bull,” “The Knick,” and “Paint It Black,” Amber Tamblyn’s directorial debut.
“My writing process has a lot to do with scavenging material from things I hear or see in daily life,” the multi-hyphenate has said. “I’ll hear something that sounds a little off-kilter, or a little funny, or a little disturbing, and I’ll take a mental note for later.” She added, “For better or for worse, I take a lot of joy in writing self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing men. There’s a lot wrong with the way our culture perpetuates this ideal of masculinity. bell hooks has an illuminating piece called ‘Understanding Patriarchy’ that unearths the way American culture systemically teaches young boys to be violent, aggressive, and narcissistic. I like to blend a foundation of sympathy for the male experience with a great deal of satire to try to laugh at how ridiculous the crisis of masculinity has become,” she explained.
