Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired U.S. rights to the psychosexual thriller “Act One” from writer-director Sophia Takal (“Always Shine,” “Black Christmas”), and will release it in theaters in 2027.
“Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” star Ella Beatty will play the leading role of Hannah, a sheltered seventeen-year-old aspiring actress. “Act One” follows Hannah as she joins an elite acting studio led by its magnetic founder, Melanie (Ari Graynor). Per the press release, “Drawn to Melanie’s intensity and increasingly extreme methods, Hannah throws herself into the work. But as dedication turns to obsession and the lines between performance, desire and manipulation blur, she is pulled into a dangerous game that tests how far she’ll go to become the artist she wants to be.”
The film also stars Sinclair Daniel (“Insidious: The Red Door”), Tavi Gevinson (“Gossip Girl”), Elizabeth Reaser (“Twilight”) and Robert Sean Leonard (“House”).
“I’m thrilled Oscilloscope is releasing ‘Act One,’” Takal said. “Getting to work with them again after ‘Always Shine’ feels like a homecoming. It’s heartening to know there are people out there with the taste, nerve and good sense to champion movies like ours. I can’t wait for audiences to see the incredible work of all the talented people who made this film!”
The film debuted at Tribeca Festival on June 10. “Act One” is produced by Takal, Allison Rose Carter (Savage Rose Films), Julie Christeas (Tandem Pictures), Jon Read (Savage Rose Films), Stephanie Roush (Foxglove Films), and Julie Waters (Watermark Media). Executive producers are Evan Dyal of Watermark Media, Ryan Kampe of Visit Films, Lawrence Michael Levine, Allison and Jon Stockel and Marilyn White.