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Neil LaBute’s ‘Out of The Blue’ Rounds Out Cast With Chase Sui Wonders, WestEnd Films Boards Sales – AFM (EXCLUSIVE)

Manori Ravindran
·2 min read

Neil LaBute thriller “Out of the Blue” has rounded out its cast with “On the Rocks” and “Generation” star Chase Sui Wonders, who joins Diane Kruger, Ray Nicholson and Hank Azaria.

London-based outfit WestEnd Films has launched worldwide sales on the project, which will be shopped to buyers at next week’s virtual American Film Market. The project, which is both written and directed by LaBute (“Death at a Funeral,” “Nurse Betty”), follows ex-con Connor (Nicholson), who meets enigmatic beauty Marilyn (Kruger) and plunges headlong into an adulterous affair that is complicated by Marilyn’s abusive husband and vulnerable stepdaughter.

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“I wanted to tell a timeless love story that felt like it was rooted in American naturalism but embraced the kind of sex and thrills of European art cinema,” said LaBute of his film, describing it as a neo-noir in the tradition of “The Postman Always Rings Twice” (1946), “Body Heat” (1981) and “Unfaithful” (2002).

“This is a sexually driven relationship thriller that twists and turns its way toward an inevitable yet surprising conclusion. Filled with lust, deceit and emotional switchbacks, ‘Out of the Blue’ is a pressure cooker of a movie, just waiting to spill over,” said the director.

The film, which was first introduced to buyers at the Toronto Film Festival in September, recently finished shooting in Rhode Island and is currently in post-production. Quiver Distribution was previously down to handle worldwide sales, but will now oversee only North America, with WestEnd selling international.

Sui Wonders’ recent film credits include Sofia Coppola’s “On the Rocks” for A24, and Samuel Goldwyn Films’ horror-thriller “Daniel Isn’t Real.” She also stars in the HBO Max ensemble series “Generation.” Her next project is A24 horror film “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies,” alongside Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Rachel Sennott and Myha’la Herrold.

Berry Meyerowitz of Quiver Distribution and Tara L. Craig of The Squid Farm produced the film. Jeff Sackman and Larry Greenberg serve as executive producers for Quiver Distribution, which packaged the project and arranged the film’s financing with BondIt Media Capital. Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor, and Tyler Gould executive produced for BondIt.

Maya Amsellem, managing director of WestEnd Films, said: “‘Out of the Blue’ is a gripping and sexy suspense thriller, told with Neil LaBute’s smart, playful wit and ingenuity, which we know international audiences will respond well to.”

The U.K. sales agent’s slate also includes Venice-premiering “Rhino” as well as “The Score,” starring Will Poulter, Johnny Flynn and Naomi Ackie.

Sui Wonders is repped by UTA, Untitled Entertainment, Shelter PR and Sloan, Offer, Weber & Dern.

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