Matthew McConaughey and Zoe Saldaña are in negotiations to lead Netflix’s upcoming film Positano. Daniel Roher, who helmed the Navalny documentary, attached to direct the movie from a script by Alessandro Tanaka and Brian Gatewood. The producers will be Working Title’s founders, Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan.
Though plot details are being kept under wraps, the film is said to be a romantic caper set in the beautiful Italian town of Positano. Amelia Granger will serve as an executive producer for Working Title, and Tanaka and Gatewood.
After Tanaka and Gatewood sold the script, development on the film picked up steam and Roher was brought on to direct. The storyline captivated McConaughey and Saldaña immediately, and both signed onto the project shortly thereafter. Once their participation was locked, Netflix acted quickly to acquire the package with plans to expedite production after deals close.
McConaughey, who recently ramped up his return to acting following a temporary break from the craft with Apple’s hit thriller The Lost Bus, was praised for playing an heroic school bus driver amidst the 2018 California wildfires in the film. Meantime, Saldaña (above), who is fresh off her Best Supporting Actress Oscar win for Emilia Pérez, will be seen in James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water that bows worldwide this weekend.
Roher’s earlier films include the Oscar-winning Navalny, which also garnered BAFTA and Sundance awards. His first narrative feature, Tuner, which is a crime thriller with an ensemble cast including Dustin Hoffman, Leo Woodall and Havana Rose Liu has been released theatrically worldwide following the film’s world premiere at Telluride and North American Premiere at TIFF to great reviews.
McConaughey is repped by WME and Yorn Levine Barnes, Saldaña is repped by CAA and LBI Entertainment, as well as Yorn Levine Barnes. Roher is repped by UTA and Gang Tyre Ramer. Tanaka and Gatewood are repped by UTA, Entertainment 360 and Hansen Jacobson Teller.
