EXCLUSIVE: The cast for Kornél Mundruczó’s next feature drama Place to Be, continues to grow, with Primetime Emmy winner Lena Waithe joining Ellen Burstyn, Taika Waititi, Pamela Anderson and Edgar Ramirez, all of whom we previously told you about.
The film, written by Kata Wéber (Mundruczó’s Pieces of a Woman, White God), is backed by S’YA Concept with further support from the NSW government through Screen NSW’s Made in NSW fund. WME Independent is handling international sales.
The feature centers on the last passions of life and follows the unlikely friendship of kindly but no-nonsense Brooke (Burstyn) and discombobulated divorcee Nelson (Waititi) as they travel from Chicago to New York to return a lost racing pigeon.
Waithe plays the role of Shy, who helps Brooke on her journey to track down the owner of the lost pigeon.
Production is underway at Disney Studios in Sydney.
Hungarian-born Mundruczó broke out with auteurial feature White God, followed by Pieces of a Woman which won the Volpi Cup for its star Vanessa Kirby and the ArcaCinemaGiovani awards at the Venice Film Festival. It later notched an Oscar nomination for Kirby.
Place to Be is produced by Jomon Thomas (Monkey Man, Hotel Mumbai), Megan Wynn (Together, Poker Face) and Alexander Rodnyansky (Loveless, Beanpole). EPs are Natalya Pavchinskaya (S’YA Concept), Stuart Manashil, Pankaj Mamtora (Lonestar Films), Kanesh Mohana Sundaram (GVKM Elephant Pictures), Ashley Levinson, Sam Levinson, Viktoria Petranyi, David Edelstein and the late Kevin Turen.
Waithe recently joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy in the guest role of Dr Evelyn Moore, who has ties to Catherine Fox played by Debbie Allen. She is also the founder of Hillman Grad and best known for Master of None, The Chi, and Queen & Slim. Waithe’s recent producorial credits include the Emmy-nominated documentary Being Mary Tyler Moore, the 2023 Sundance films A Thousand and One and Kokomo City, as well the Tony-nominated play Ain’t No Mo’. In November 2024, Waithe launched her podcast series, Legacy Talk. She won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for Master of None.
She is repped by WME and Blue Marble Management.
