Melissa Barrera (“Scream VI”), Nicholas Hoult (“The Menu”) and Lana Condor (“Moonshot”) headline the cast of “The One,” from writer-director team Kevin Armento and Jaki Bradley.
HanWay Films is handling worldwide sales, and will launch the film at the Cannes film market, with WME Independent and UTA co-repping the film for North America.
“The One” follows Taylor (Barrera), who’s made a last-ditch effort to find love by becoming a contestant on a reality dating show. Now down to just herself and two other women competing to win the heart of Mason (Hoult), Taylor begins to feel the artifice of the show fade, and the game becomes terrifyingly real. Amidst the opulent beachfront setting, fairy-tale dates, and ever-flowing champagne, pursuit turns into obsession and rivalry turns into treachery as reality itself blurs.
Hoult also produces alongside Whitaker Lader via their production company Dead Duck Films, which has a first-look TV deal with MRC TV and Civic Center Media. Riley Keough (“Daisy Jones & the Six”) will also produce with Gina Gammell via their production company Felix Culpa, following their directorial debut last year with “War Pony,” which won the Camera D’Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and “Manodrome,” which premiered at Berlin International Film Festival.
Armento and Bradley said: “We’ve been dreaming up this project for years, and are thrilled to now bring it to life with our actual dream team. Nick, Melissa, Riley, and Lana are some of the most exciting talents around, and their passion for this film – shared by our incredible producing partners – has us even more eager to make this nightmare a reality.”
Hoult and Lader added: “We were immediately drawn to this project that we think will be equally appealing to reality TV junkies and those who think it is a scourge on humanity. Jaki and Kevin’s script and vision promise a wild and deliciously dark film that will make audiences cringe, laugh, and question their own complicity. We’re so excited to help bring it to life with this fantastic team.”
Gabrielle Stewart, CEO of HanWay Films, said: “This is an original, dynamic and scary exploration of the horror that lies deep inside the intimacy of one of the world’s most popular TV formats. We are thrilled to be working with this young and exciting creative team to bring something this fresh to the market.”
Barrera is represented by WME, Sugar23, attorneys Tara Kole and Danny Passman, and Imprint PR. Keough is represented by CAA, Hansen Jacobson Teller, and The Lede Company. Condor is represented by CAA, Goodman Genow Schenkman, and Persona PR. Hoult is represented by UTA, 42, Felker Toczek, and Relevant PR. Bradley and Armento are represented by WME, Kaplan / Perrone, and Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz.
