This might finally be the year that sees the release of Duke Johnson’s “The Actor” which recently was stamped with an “R” rating by the MPA. Last we checked, in November, Johnson was still in post-production on “The Actor” which stars Andre Holland and is being distributed by Neon.
Now, a Redditor has spotted a poster for the film at NYC’s Angelika movie theater. Still no release date attached to the said poster, but maybe we’re looking at a fall launch for the film which wrapped production way back in April 2023. I can see this one premiering at Telluride.
The film, based on the best-selling novel, “Memory,” by Donald E. Westlake, is the story of an amnesiac man in 1950s Ohio who wakes up with no memory of who he is. He then attempts to trace back his identity in New York to figure out his own mystery, along the way he strikes up a romance with a mysterious woman (Gemma Chan).
Johnson wrote and co-directed, with Charlie Kaufman, the darkly fantastic, animated treat “Anomalisa,” released in 2015. It was his feature-directing debut. Johnson actually specializes in stop-motion animation, which is why Kaufman sought his help with “Anomalisa,” and “The Actor” is his first ever live-action project.
Joining Holland in “The Actor” is a sturdy ensemble cast that includes Gemma Chan, May Calamawy, Toby Jones, Tracey Ullman, Olwen Fouéré, Joe Cole, and many more.
Here’s the poster.