The Exchange is introducing the film — about a young journalist who uncovers a major conspiracy — in Toronto.
Logan Roy is moving into politics.
Succession‘s Golden Globe and Emmy-winning patriarch Brian Cox is uniting with fast-rising British star Jodie Turner-Smith — recently seen in A24’s Cannes-bowing sci-fi After Yang — for the political thriller The Independent.
The feature comes from Emmy-nominated director Amy Rice (HBO’s By The People: The Election of Barack Obama, upcoming doc Broadway Rising), working from a top ranked Black List script penned by Evan Parter, currently writing the upcoming Amazon Studios original Untitled John Dean Feature, set to star Chris Pine.
Set in the final weeks of the most consequential presidential election in history, The Independent follows an idealistic young journalist (Turner-Smith) who teams up with her idol (Cox) to uncover a conspiracy that places the fate of the election, and the country, in their hands.
Ryan Cunningham of Anonymous Content (The Revenant, Spotlight, Winter’s Bone) and Emmy-winning producers Sam Bisbee of Park Pictures (Truffle Hunters, Hearts Beat Loud, Infinitely Polar Bear) and Thea Dunlap (The Sentence, The Hero, Farewell Amor) are set to produce alongside Caddy Vanasirikul of The Exchange (The Stand In) and Parter. Lance Acord and Jackie Kelman Bisbee of Park Pictures and Brian O’Shea and Nat McCormick of The Exchange are serving as executive producers.
The Exchange is financing The Independent and is currently presenting the project to buyers at the 2021 Virtual TIFF.
“Brian is not only a wonderful actor, he has global appeal and paired with Jodie’s strong screen presence and talent, The Independent looks like one of the strongest titles of this market,” said O’Shea, CEO of The Exchange.
Alongside Succession, Cox is known for X2: X-Men United, Troy and Manhunter, while Turner-Smith recently appeared opposite Michael B. Jordan in Amazon’s Without Morse, plus Queen & Slim, Nightflyers and as the titular queen in British TV drama Anne Boleyn.
The Exchange’s Virtual TIFF’21 line-up also includes Kaley Cuoco’s Meet Cute and Morgan Freeman’s Muti.
Cox is represented by Paradigm, Insight Entertainment and Conway Van Gelder Grant Ltd, and Turner-Smith is repped by United Talent Agency (UTA) and 111 Media.
