Oscar nominee Toni Collette (Knives Out) and Anna Faris (The House Bunny, Scary Movie films) have officially signed on for the leading roles in Signature Films’ forthcoming comedy film titled The Estate, which hails from Death at a Funeral director Dean Craig. Oscar nominee Thomas Haden Church (Sideways) has also been tapped to join the project, which will be produced by Sarah Jessica Parker through her Pretty Matches Productions.
“Dean’s knack for farce is one of a kind,” Signature’s Marc Goldberg said in a statement. “We look forward to bringing this comedy to life and working with this extraordinary group of talent; Toni, Anna and Thomas couldn’t be more perfectly cast.”
The Estate will be directed by Dean Craig, with Signature Films and Capstone Global financing the project. It is being produced by Signature’s Marc Goldberg and Sarah Gabriel along with Pretty Matches’ Alison Benson. Executive producers are Capstone Global’s Christian Mercuri & David Haring, and Thruline’s Josh Kesselman.
“The film revolves around two sisters, Macey (Collette) and Savanna (Faris), who learn their wealthy but estranged Aunt Hilda is terminally ill,” reads the synopsis. “Seeing this as an opportunity to get her inheritance and rescue their dying café, the sisters plan to improve their bitter relationship and cater to Hilda’s needs. Arriving to Aunt Hilda’s extravagant estate, they find that they are not the only ones in the family with shifted morals. Their cousins Beatrice and Richard (Church) have come with the same plan to swoon Hilda into giving them her estate. Soon, it becomes a battle amongst the eclectic family as to who can impress the matriarch the most and come out on top.”
Collette will next be seen in Guillermo del Toro’s star-studded neo-noir thriller Nightmare Alley, which will debut in theaters on December 17. Interestingly, Church also has a high-profile film coming out on December 17 which is Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: No Way Home, where he will be reprising his role as Sandman.
After starring in a number of comedy films, The Estate marks Faris’ first feature project in three years since leading 2018’s Overboard.
