Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin’ Lands at Neon Ahead of Venice Film Festival Premiere
variety.comRebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Neon has acquired worldwide rights to Ava DuVernay’s “Origin” ahead of its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival.
The movie, starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, will also screen at the Toronto International Film Festival. “Origin” will be released in theaters later this year.
DuVernay is the first African American woman director in competition in Venice’s 80-year history. She wrote, produced and directed the film, which is inspired by the life and work of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson as she pens her seminal book “Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents.” A press release describes the plot as such: “While grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, Isabel sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery.
Despite the colossal scope of her project, she finds beauty and bravery while crafting one of the defining American books of our time.” Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood, Finn Wittrock, Jasmine Cephas-Jones and Connie Nielsen round out the cast. “I’ve known Ava for a long time and my love and admiration for her and her work goes back further, even before ‘Middle of Nowhere,'” said Neon’s CEO and founder Tom Quinn. “I’m truly humbled that it is this movie which has finally brought us together.
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