‘American Made’ Backer Argent & ‘Amateur’ Producer Mandalay Line Up Female Buddy Comedy ‘Soulmates’
EXCLUSIVE: American Made and Hacksaw Ridge backer Argent Pictures, whose partners include sports stars Drew Brees and Tony Parker, and Amateur producer Mandalay Pictures begin shooting next week in Vermont on the female buddy comedy Soulmates.
Pic focuses on two friends who are trying to maintain the balance of their friendship just as their community rallies against the corporate takeover of the local maple sugar industry. Stephanie Lynn (Castle, How I Met Your Mother) and Alexandra Case (Fishes ‘n Loaves: Heaven Sent) wrote the script and will star alongside Mark Famiglietti (Aquarius). Tim Armstrong (Dakota’s Summer) is on board to direct.
Jill Ahrens, Ryan Ahrens and Ben Renzo of Argent, Caroline Connor, Patrick Raymond of Mandalay Pictures, and Alexandra Renzo are producing. Executive producers are Argent’s Brees, Parker, Michael Finley and Derrick Brooks, and Mandalay Pictures’ Jason Michael Berman. Lisa Nitti negotiated the deal on behalf of Argent Pictures and will serve as production counsel.
“As a native Vermonter, I am thrilled to be filming in my home state. Vermont is a very special place, a place that could never be replicated in a Hollywood studio,” said Case. “When our producers first visited VT, they thought the big city of Burlington was a small town… I know my parents are still laughing at that. Argent has built an incredible team, and I’m excited to share a story that is so close to my heart.”
“This is a film about friendship, love and Vermont.” said Lynn. “Alexandra and I are very excited to give the world a glimpse of the extraordinarily special state where we had the privilege of growing up. We could not be more thrilled to have found such an incredible team to bring our story to life; a team that even supported our vision to shoot the film entirely in Vermont. Maple syrup, cheese, cows and all.”
Argent’s credits include American Made, The Birth Of A Nation, Hacksaw Ridge, Chasing Coral and Netflix pic Amateur, on which it collaborated with Mandalay. Slate projects include Tayarisha Poe’s Selah And The Spades, Kung Fury 2 , The Good Time Girls and They Fight.