Following its acquisition by Amazon, MGM has obtained its first big theatrical movie, as it picked up the worldwide distribution rights to filmmaker Luca Guadagnino’s first U.S.-set feature, Bones and All. The Oscar-nominated director reunited with his Call Me by Your Name star, Timothée Chalamet, for the upcoming romance-horror drama, which was shot in the Ohio Tri-State area last spring, Deadline is reporting.
Besides Chalamet, the coming-of-age movie also stars Taylor Russell, Mark Rylance, André Holland, Jessica Harper, David Gordon-Green, Francesca Scorsese and Chloë Sevigny. Chalamet’s Call Me by Your Name co-star, Michael Stuhlbarg, also appears in Bones and All.
Guadagnino helmed the upcoming film, which was written by his longtime collaborator, David Kajganich (Suspiria, A Bigger Splash). The scribe adapted the script for Bones and All from Camille DeAngelis’ 2016 novel of the same name.
The screen adaptation will tell a story of first love between Maren (Russell), a young woman who’s learning how to survive on the margins of society, as she searches for the father she’s never met. As she embarks on her cross-country journey, she meets and decides to travel with Lee (Chalamet), an intense and disenfranchised drifter.
The duo forms a romantic relationship after they embark on their thousand-mile odyssey together, which takes them through the back roads of America while Ronald Reagan was serving as the country’s president. But despite their best efforts, the new couple can’t escape their terrifying pasts, which leads them to a final obstacle that will determine whether their love can survive.
While discussing Bones and All, Michael De Luca, MGM Film Group Chairman, and Pam Abdy, MGM Film Group President, said: “Since his earliest days, Luca has been obsessed with movies, which makes him a kindred spirit to us both. We have long admired his devotion to the kind of cinema that is both admired and passionately discussed by moviegoing audiences. He is the rare filmmaker whose two-decades long career has spanned countless genres and subjects, and throughout he has remained true to his unique vision.
The two MGM executives also praised the drama’s cast. They noted: “We are equally thrilled to be working with Timothée, Taylor, Mark and this outstanding ensemble cast, whose work in Bones and All will be a must see on the big screen.”
Guadagnino also shared his excitement over his collaboration with MGM: “I am delighted that MGM, a studio that so clearly loves filmmakers and respects bold vision, is going to bring my movie into the world and that the amazing work of Timothée, Taylor, Mark and the rest of the cast will be seen in theaters. Bones and All could not be in better hands with Kevin Ulrich, Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy at the helm. I am truly proud to be associated with the iconic lion that has roared at the start of so many of my favorite films over the decades.”
Bones and All is a Frenesy Film Company and Per Capita Productions title in association with The Apartment Pictures – a Fremantle company, Memo Films and 3 Marys Entertainment. The movie was produced by Guadagnino, Theresa Park, Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Dave Kaiganich, Marco Morabito, Lorenzo Mieli, Gabriele Moratti and Peter Spears. The drama was executive produced by Giovanni Corrado, Raffaella Viscardi, Marco Colombo and Moreno Zani.