Tom Blyth and Russell Tovey are set to lead “Plainclothes,” a new independent film from writer-director Carmen Emmi. The film, which will shoot in Syracuse, N.Y., is being produced by Arthur Landon, Colby Cote and Eric Podwall on behalf of Page 1 Entertainment and Lorton Entertainment.
Set in the ’90s and inspired by true events,a working-class undercover officer is tasked with entrapping and apprehending gay men, only to find himself drawn to one of his targets.
“Carmen Emmi is one of those unique talents who truly deserves a platform for his creative ingenuity,” producers Cote and Landon jointly tell PvNew of Emmi’s directorial debut. “‘Plainclothes’ is a heartfelt story that deals with internal conflict, family and the complexities of sexual identity in the face of societal and personal expectations. We are excited to bring his first screenplay life with this incredible cast.”
Blyth most recently starred as Coriolanus Snow in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” and reprised his titular role in the second season of MGM+ series “Billy the Kid.” Other recent credits include a guest starring role on HBO’s “The Gilded Age” and his part as Glen Byam Shawin the late Terrence Davies’ “Benediction.” The Juilliard-trained actor is also set to star in Michael Winterbottom’s film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s classic war novel “A Farewell to Arms.”
Award-winning actor Tovey can currently be seen as John O’Shea in Ryan Murphy’s FX drama series “Feud,” and was recently seen in the leading role in Murphy’s eleventh season of FX horror anthology “American Horror Story: NYC,” as well as BBC’s drama series “Juice.” Russell was nominated for a 2020 Critic’s Choice Award for best supporting actor for his role in the acclaimed BBC/HBO Drama series “Years and Years.”
For “Plainclothes,” which is his debut screenplay, Emmi has been celebrated by several industry competitions, most notably the AMPAS Academy Nicholl Fellowship.
Blyth is represented by Gersh, MJ Management, United Agents in the U.K. and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Russell is repped by Claire Maroussas at Independent Talent Group and Pinnacle PR for press.
