Los Angeles, Jan 17 (.) Oscar-winning filmmaker Tom McCarthy, best known for Spotlight, has set his next feature at Sony Pictures Classics, confirms Variety.
The yet-untitled film is scheduled to begin production in late February and is dedicated to the late Steve Golin, the Oscar-winning producer and founder and CEO of Anonymous Content. ‘Sony Pictures Classics’ has acquired worldwide rights to the project and will also co-finance the film.
McCarthy co-wrote the screenplay with Thomas Bidegan and Noé Debré, adapting it from Nathaniel Rich’s acclaimed book Losing Earth. The story is described as a dramatic and darkly comic true account set at the dawn of the climate change debate, a time when scientific evidence was clear but political and industrial resistance stalled meaningful action, according to Variety.
Set in 1980 at a beachside resort in Florida, the film follows 20 scientists, activists, and policymakers brought together for a weekend conference to address the growing concern over carbon dioxide emissions and climate change.
Tasked by Congress with producing a unified statement on how to respond, the group quickly discovers that consensus is far from simple.
Announcing the project, McCarthy said the story resonated with him for its timeless message about collaboration. “No matter our differences, we must find ways to work together if we hope to solve our problems,” he said, adding that the process of bringing the film to life has been both meaningful and entertaining, as per Variety.
He also expressed gratitude for partnering with Anonymous Content and Sony Pictures Classics.
Representatives from Sony Pictures Classics praised the screenplay and its urgency, calling the film a major project and noting their long-standing desire to collaborate with McCarthy since his debut feature The Station Agent more than two decades ago.
The film is produced by Jonathan King and David Levine for Anonymous Content, Jim Whitaker, and McCarthy for Slow Pony, with additional producers including Jonathan Schwartz, Nick Shumaker, Bard Dorros, and Mary Aloe.
The project also boasts an extensive list of executive producers, including Alex Gibney, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Laurene Powell Jobs, Davis Guggenheim, and others across several production banners.
The deal was negotiated by Sony Pictures Classics alongside Anonymous Content and CAA Media Finance on behalf of the producers, with Adam Davids serving as legal counsel. McCarthy is represented by Gersh and Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz.
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