Olmo Schnabel’s first feature film, a romantic thriller about two young guys discovering the seedier side of New York City together, boasts an all-star cast. Schnabel, the son of director Julian Schnabel who was nominated for an Oscar, will make his directorial debut with “Pet Shop Boys.” Newcomers Dario Yazebek Bernal (“The House of the Flowers”) and Jack Irv (“Giants Being Lonely”) helmed the just-completed project.
In the film, the outcast Alejandro (Bernal) and the young pet store worker Jack (Irv) have a whirlwind romance that leads them down a dark path of vice. Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe and prolific actor Peter Sarsgaard will be the men’s co-stars. Angela Sarafyan (“The Neon Demon”), Jordi Mollà (“Riddick”), Louis Cancelmi (“The Looming Tower”), Camille Rowe (“The Deep House”), Maribel Verdu (“Blancanieves”), and Emmanuelle Seigner (“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”) are all on board.
I’m shocked by the old adage, “Someone once said ‘If you can’t surprise yourself, how can you expect to surprise anyone else,’ and I am absolutely surprised. This film always seemed like an impossibility or like something that was unachievable,”
“We all made something with love that I think will be very special. I feel incredibly lucky and grateful to have been able to collaborate with so many talented people.”
The director’s previous work included the 2019 drama “Giants Being Lonely,” which also starred Irv. Pet Shop Boys is a collaborative effort between Irv, Olmo Schnabel, and Galen Core. Francesco Melzi d’Eril and Gabriele Moratti of MeMo Films produced the movie, together with Alex Coco, Core and Schnabel under the label TWIN, Marie Savare de Laitre of Storyteller Productions, and Alex Coco.
“I fell in love with Olmo’s project. We see in this project a knowing portrait of young people today in New York City. Many films try to capture this, but with Olmo’s lived experience, sensibility, and perceptive eye we believe he is telling a specific story that will resonate for a generation,” said MeMo’s d’Eril.
“I enthusiastically decided with my partner, Gabriele, to come on board. Working with this amazing group of talented young professionals was so stimulating and fun.”
Livio Strazzera “Serfis,” Marco Colombo (Ela Films), Michel Franco, Theo Niarchos, and Aimone Ripa di Meana serve as executive producers. Other names on the list include PJ van Sandwijk (Storyteller Productions), Giovanni Corrado and Raffaella Viscardi (3Marys), Moreno Zani and Malcom Pagani (Tenderstories), and PJ van Sandwijk (Storyteller Productions).
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To put it simply, Renato Ragosta works for Ela Films as an Associate Producer. Editing the film was Sophie Corra. The feature film “Amore” by Andrea di Stefano, which was just revealed as an official selection of the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival, will be MeMo’s next release after the critically acclaimed “Bones & All” by Luca Guadagnino.
TWIN, founded by Schnabel and Core, will produce both works by well-known and emerging artists, as well as works helmed by Schnabel himself. They are represented by The Gersh Agency, both Schnabel and Louis Cancelmi. Bernal’s representation comes from Anonymous Content.
Grandview represents Mr. Irv. WME represents both Dafoe and Sarsgaard. Insurge-Ent is handling representation for Seigner. APA represents Mollà. CAA is Rowe’s agency. In the entertainment industry, Saryfan is represented by Innovative Artists.
