Josh Charles (“The Good Wife”) and Anders Danielsen Lie (“Bergman Island”) are set to join Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway in “Mothers’ Instinct.”
The film, which is based on Barbara Abel’s novel “Derrière la Haine,” tells the story of Alice (Chastain) and Celine (Hathaway), two best friends and mothers living an outwardly idyllic life a stone’s throw from each other in 1960s America. But the manicured lawns and successful husbands fade into the background when a tragic accident unravels their bond and gives way to guilt, suspicion and paranoia.
Olivier Masset-Depasse made a French adaptation, “Duelles,” in 2018.
Sarah Conradt (“50 States of Fright”) is adapting the English-language script while cinematographer Benoit Delhomme (“The Theory of Everything”) is also on board.
Shooting is underway in New York.
European production outfit Anton are repping sales for the project internationally. They also sold the film alongside CAA Media Finance domestically, with Neon acquiring U.S. distribution.
In the U.K., “Mothers’ Instinct” has been acquired by Studiocanal, Amazon for Canada, Australia and NZ, Vertice for Spain/Italy, The Searchers for Benelux, California for Latin America, Empire Entertainment for the Middle East, Watcha for S. Korea, Filmfinity for S. Africa, Shaw Renters for Singapore, Tanweer for Turkey, Ascot Elite for Switzerland, Nos Losumundo for Portugal, Moviecloud for Taiwan, Spentzos for Greece, Intercontinental for Hong Kong, PVR for India, Sahamongkol for Thailand, Monolith for Poland, Blitz for Yugoslavia, and Vertical acquired the remaining Eastern European territories, confirmed Cecile Gaget, president of international production and distribution at Anton.
“Mothers’ Instinct” is produced by Jessica Chastain and Kelly Carmichael for Chastain’s Freckle Films, Paul Nelson at Mosaic and Jacques-Henri Bronckart. Sébastien Raybaud, Anton’s founder and CEO, is overseeing the project with Anton president of production John Zois who negotiated the deal with CAA.