Toni Collette to headline motion comedy ‘Mafia Mamma’

By PTI

LOS ANGELES: Academy Award-nominated actor Toni Collette will play a suburban mom who unexpectedly inherits her grandfather’s mafia empire within the upcoming motion comedy “Mafia Mamma”.

According to Variety, the Italy-set movie additionally stars Monica Bellucci and Rob Huebel.

Catherine Hardwicke, whose directing credit embrace “Twilight” and “Thirteen”, will helm the film from a screenplay by Debbie Jhoon and J Michael Feldman.

Collette, recognized for movies like “Sixth Sense”, “Knives Out” and Netflix sequence “Unbelievable”, will play Kristen who in the future receives a name from Bianca (Bellucci), her estranged grandfather’s trusted consigliere, telling her he’s lifeless and he or she should attend the funeral in Italy.

“Egged on by Jenny, her outspoken best friend and lawyer, Kristin is persuaded this is exactly what she needs — a free trip to Europe full of pasta, wine, and beautiful men. The trip gets off to a perfect start but when her grandfather’s funeral explodes into a bloody gunfight, she finally learns the truth. Kristin isn’t just there to meet the family, she is there to be the new boss of the fiercest Mafia family in Calabria,” reads the logline.

Huebel will star within the function of Kristen’s unsuccessful, musician husband whom she catches dishonest on her with a groupie.

The venture reunites Hardwicke and Collette, who beforehand labored collectively on the 2015 emotional comedy “Miss You Already”, additionally starring Drew Barrymore.

Collette stated she is worked up to make “Mafia Mamma” with Hardwicke and the workforce.

“It is pure, fish out of water fun with a firm feminist backbone. I think we could all handle an uplifting, laugh out loud story like this right about now. Bring it on Italy!” she added.

“Toni is likely one of the most versatile actresses on the planet — she could be intensely emotional, super-sexy and LOL hilarious.

She’s going to dazzle as Kristin.

And I personally relate to this lady who has to faucet into her internal warrior and earn the respect of a bunch of males — particularly after working within the movie enterprise.

This story is empowering in probably the most enjoyable means!” Hardwicke stated.

“Mafia Mamma” is produced by Vocab Films, Idea(l) and New Sparta Production based mostly on an unique concept by French novelist, screenwriter and filmmaker Amanda Sthers.

Collette may even function a producer beneath her Vocab Films banner along with Sthers via Idea(l) and New Sparta’s Christopher Simon.

The movie is anticipated to start manufacturing in Italy in late spring 2022.