According to Deadline, Vertical Entertainment has officially acquired the North American theatrical distribution rights to the upcoming drama movie The Listener, which hails from actor-turned-filmmaker Steve Buscemi. The Tessa Thompson-led movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters and on digital on March 29.
“Alessandro Camon’s screenplay for The Listener resonated with me on many levels,” Buscemi said in a statement. “I loved the journey our lead character Beth bravely takes each night, assessing and navigating each call, figuring out in real time how she can best be of help to the unknown voices in her ear who are in need of guidance, reassurance, sympathy, or simply to be heard.
Tessa Thompson’s nuanced and powerful performance as Beth is the heart of the film, and I’m grateful to her and our stellar cast of callers who provide the richness and subtleties of everyday people’s desire for connection. For me, the exquisite exchange between caller and listener is nothing short of heroic.”
Who’s involved in The Listener?
The Listener is directed by Buscemi from a screenplay written by Alessandro Camon. Joining Thompson are Rebecca Hall, Logan Marshall-Green, Margaret Cho, Alia Shawkat, Derek Cecil, Ricky Velez, Casey Wilson, Jamie Hector, Blu Del Barrio and Bobby Soto. The film is produced by Thompson, Buscemi, Wren Arthur, Oren Moverman, Lauren Hantz, Billy Mulligan and Kat Barnett. Executive producers are John Hantz, Julia Lebedev, Eddie Vaisman and Suzanne Warren.
“The film tells the story of Beth (Thompson), a home helpline worker who is part of the small army that gets on the phone every night across America, fielding calls from all kinds of people feeling lonely, broken, hopeless,” reads the film’s official synopsis. “Over the last year, the tide has become a tsunami. As Beth goes through her shift, the stakes rise: is this the night she will lose someone? Save someone? Eventually, Beth’s own story comes to light, revealing why she does it. All along, we remain with her: listening, comforting, connecting —patching the world back together, one call at a time.”
