'Wednesday' star Jenna Ortega to star in sports drama Nasty alongside Rose Byrne
Venice, July 17
Rose Byrne and Jenna Ortega are set to share screen space in the upcoming sports drama Nasty, directed by Mary Bronstein, Variety said.
The film will be released by Warner Bros.' newly launched indie label, Clockwork.
According to the publication, Nasty follows the story of a young athlete fighting for a place on the Olympic gymnastics team. As she works towards her dream, she realizes that her biggest challenge is not another gymnast, but her own coach.
The film brings Byrne and Bronstein together once again after 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You', which earned Byrne an Oscar nomination. The screenplay for Nasty was written by Isabella Jarosz and was featured on the Black List, the annual list of the best unproduced screenplays. It is also Jarosz's first screenplay to be sold.
Filming for Nasty is scheduled to begin this fall. The project is being produced by LuckyChap, the production company behind Barbie and Saltburn, along with Jenna Ortega, according to Variety.
Rose Byrne is known for films such as Bridesmaids, Spy and Neighbors. She has also received Emmy nominations for Damages and has appeared in Mrs. America, Physical and Platonic. Byrne also earned a Tony nomination for her performance in the revival of Fallen Angels.
Jenna Ortega rose to global fame with Netflix's 'Wednesday.' She has also starred in Scream, Scream VI and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. She will next be seen in Klara and the Sun, directed by Taika Waititi and based on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel.
Clockwork, Warner Bros.' new indie label, was launched this year and is headed by former Neon chief marketing officer Christian Parkes. The banner is also backing projects including The Brigands of Rattlecreek, starring Matthew McConaughey, Austin Butler, Pedro Pascal and Tang Wei, as well as Sean Baker's next film Ti Amo!.
— ANI
Reader Comments
A film about a gymnast fighting for an Olympic spot—this will resonate so much with our country's sports drama tradition! Our own Dangal and Chak De! India showed the power of such stories. But why does the coach have to be the villain? 😐 Hope it's more nuanced than that.
I love how Jenna Ortega is choosing these interesting indie projects. She's not just riding the Wednesday wave. And Rose Byrne is always fantastic. LuckyChap producing means quality control with their Barbie and Saltburn track record. This could be a sleeper hit.
Interesting to see Warner Bros. launching an indie label. For us in India, a single film can release in multiple languages now. Clockwork should partner with Indian distributors to bring Nasty to our screens quickly, not just in English but with dubbed versions too. The Olympics angle will get massive traction here.
Another Hollywood film about a difficult coach—yawn. We've seen this trope too many times. But having said that, Jenna Ortega's casting is brilliant. She brings that rebellious energy from Wednesday. And the real-life experience of coaching in Indian sports is way more complex than what these movies show.
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