EXCLUSIVE: Following her acclaimed directorial debut passRebecca Hall has found her next cinematic vehicle in her Four days like Sundaya mother-daughter drama inspired by her own story, which she wrote and will star in for See-Saw Films.
Set in the mid-1990s, the film follows 12-year-old Jane as she begins to rebel against her role as caregiver to her mother Sylvia (Hall), a recently divorced and somewhat fading Broadway diva. During a long weekend break between concert dates, Sylvia welcomes Benton, Chris and Rahim, three male dancers from her current tour, to her anachronistically large country house. She also awaits the arrival of Dale, her handsome younger boyfriend. As Jane does her best to protect her mother from anything that threatens to upset her delicate equilibrium, she quietly moves from her childhood into something wiser, freer, and more solitary.
Four days like Sunday is being developed with Film4, which will also produce and co-finance, and is co-produced by Hall under her Flat Five Productions banner with Morgan Spector. Joanna Laurie is also a producer, as are Iain Canning and Emile Sherman for See-Saw Films. Executive producers are Simon Gillis for See-Saw, Ollie Madden and Farhana Bhula for Film4 and Victoria Belfrage. Cross City Films and WME Independent are co-representing the film.
“When I wrote this film, I assumed that I couldn’t really do anything else until I made this story,” Hall said in a statement to Deadline. “It is very personal to me and I hope that it expresses my sensitivity, exuberance and ambition as a filmmaker.” It is a story full of comedy, music, emotions, colors and the nuanced and complicated relationship between a mother and your child. It addresses the bubble of reality that every family creates and the people and events that help a child see beyond it. I can’t wait to get it out of my head and onto the screen.”
Producer Laurie called the film “an iconic mother-daughter coming-of-age story that is funny, poignant and hopeful – a producer’s dream.” Four days like Sunday is a love letter to camp and queer culture that gives our young heroine the safe space to triumphantly grow up and reach adulthood.”
See-Saw’s Canning and Sherman said: “We are honored to collaborate with Rebecca Hall on this rich and deeply moving story. We were completely fascinated by Rebecca’s directorial debut Passing and are excited to be involved in the next step of her film career and bring this beautiful story to the screen.”
An adaptation of Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel, also supported by Film4, Hall’s debut film pass is set in 1920s New York, where the unexpected reunion of two high school friends, one black and the other white, no longer alive, triggers a dangerous obsession that endangers their carefully constructed lives. Starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, the film had its world premiere to critical acclaim at Sundance before being released on Netflix, earning four BAFTA nominations, a DGA Award nomination for Hall, a Golden Globe nomination and an Independent Spirit Award -Win for Negga and numerous other awards.
As an actress, Hall was most recently seen in the role of scientist Ilene Andrews Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Other current projects include Prime Video Stories from the loop and David Bruckner’s horror thriller The night house. Hall will next appear in the BBC One series The listenerswho also appears as part of James L. Brooks’ star ensemble Ella McCay.
Known for his work on prestige titles such as The power of the dog And Slow horsesSee-Saw’s projects currently in production include the TV series sweet pea for Sky, Apple Cider Vinegar for Netflix and other seasons of Slow horses And Heart stopper for Apple TV+ or Netflix. The company is also currently collaborating with Michael Ende Productions to develop and produce live-action films based on the classic Michael Ende novel the never ending Story.
After the release of the Oscar winners Poor things And The zone of interestAmong many other titles, Film4’s upcoming list also includes that of Yorgos Lanthimos Types of kindness; Karan Kandharis Sister Midnight; Thea Gajics Surviving Earth; Rebecca Lenkiewicz Hot milk; Oliver Hermanus The history of sound; Dylan Southern’s The thing with the feathers; John Crowley’s We live in time; Polly Findlays Midwinter break; and Asif Kapadia 2073.
Hall is represented by Julian Belfrage Associates in London, WME and attorney Gretchen Rush.