Alex Wolff (
"Oppenheimer",
"Hereditary",
"Pig"),
Victoria Pedretti (
"You",
"The Haunting of Hill House"),
Asa Butterfield (
"Ender's Game",
"Hugo",
"Sex Education") and
Justice Smith (
"Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves",
"Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom",
"Sharper") will star in the dark and sexy psychological thriller
"If She Burns", which Wolff is also directing from his own screenplay. This is Wolff's second feature following his critically acclaimed debut
"The Cat And The Moon" (2019) which quickly became a festival darling and fan favorite.
The film follows a fiery young woman (Pedretti) who travels to Europe with her dysfunctional family after a traumatic incident. She finds refuge and danger in a turbulent affair with her enigmatic neighbor (Wolff), which along with increasing family tensions and mysterious wildfires, threaten to push her to breaking point.
Currently in pre-production and scheduled to start shooting on location in Italy in 2024, Mister Smith Entertainment will launch international sales on the film at the upcoming 2023 American Film Market (AFM), with WME handling North American sales. The actors were attached to the film prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
"If She Burns" is produced by
Jay Van Hoy (
"The Witch"),
Andra Gordon (
"Castle in the Ground"), and
Alex Wolff. A professional musician and composer, Wolff will also write and produce music for the film with
Karl McComas-Reichl.
Alex Wolff stated,
"I'm exhilarated to embark on a journey with such remarkable, brave actors like Victoria, Asa and Justice. What we put on screen will be daring, ferocious, tender, and honest. I’m honored to be able to share it".
Producers
Andra Gordon and
Jay Van Hoy said:
"We're excited to partner with Mister Smith and help bring Alex's powerful vision to life with this wonderful cast. His evocative portrayal of a young woman contending with mounting internal and external pressure ramps up to a thrilling, poignant climax in a seamlessly heightened world where reality and perception are blurred."
Mister Smith Entertainment's founder and CEO
David Garrett said:
"Alex's distinctive taste and vision as director is reflected in the projects he has been involved in to date. For IF SHE BURNS, he assembled a fascinating and talented young cast who are all currently making their mark across trailblazing film and television. Alex’s script sizzles with erotic tension and promises to deliver an unsettling and mesmerizing experience for the audience."
Wolff can next be seen in
"A Quiet Place: Day One" alongside
Lupita Nyong'o releasing March 2024. Pedretti will next be seen in
Ava DuVernay's
"Origin" (which just premiered at Venice) and
"Ponyboi", directed
Esteban Arango.
