- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Flipboard
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Tumblr
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
John Hawkes, Jon Bernthal, Thomas Haden Church and music artist Yelawolf will join newcomer Zachary Gottsagen, Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson and Bruce Dern in The Peanut Butter Falcon.
Written and directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz (The Moped Diaries), the film follows Zak, a young man with Down syndrome who has been confined to live in a retirement home for most of his life. One day he breaks out and takes to the road to try to find his hero, a retired wrestler named The Salt Water Redneck. Along the way, Zak joins forces with a desperado crab fisherman and a kind nurse.
Armory Films’ Tim Zajaros and Christopher Lemole are producing and financing Peanut Butter Falcon, alongside Bona Fide Productions’ Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa, T Bone Burnett (who will also produce the soundtrack), Lije Sarki and David Thies. The film is currently shooting in Savannah, Ga.
“Along with our partner T Bone Burnett, we have nothing but love for this excellent cast,” Berger and Yerxa said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be working again with some of our favorite actors mixed in with actors we’ve long admired and wildly talented newcomers. There’s a great sense of commitment and energy on everyone’s part to bring this unique story to life.”
Hawkes will soon be seen in two films this fall: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri from Fox Searchlight and Small Town Crime with Octavia Spencer from Saban Films. He is repped by Innovative Artists and Thruline Entertainment.
Bernthal’s recent film credits include Wind River and Baby Driver. He will next be seen starring as the Punisher in the upcoming Netflix series The Punisher and Jamie M. Dagg’s Sweet Virginia. Bernthal is repped by WME and the Burstein Company.
Haden Church currently stars on the HBO series Divorce alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, and has previously appeared in such films as Heaven Is for Real, John Carter, We Bought a Zoo, Easy A and Spider-Man 3. He is repped by CAA and FINLEY Management.
Yelawolf is an American hip-hop artist known for albums including Love Story, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and his upcoming release, Trial by Fire. He is repped by WME for film and TV and Slumerican, Shady and Interscope for music.
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day