Robert Schwartzman’s new distribution company Utopia has released the first trailer forMickey and the Bear, the indie gem starringCamila MorroneandJames Badge Dale.
Written and directed byBullactressAnnabelleAttanasio, the film finds headstrong Montana teenager Mickey Peck (Morrone) doing what she can to keep her single, veteran father Hank (Badge Dale) afloat – navigating his mercurial moods, opioid addiction, and grief over the loss of his wife. Mickey secretly fantasizes of going to college on the west coast and finally living life on her own terms. When Hank’s controlling, jealous behavior turns destructive, Mickey must decide between familial obligation and personal fulfillment as she puts everything on the line to claim her own independence.
The coming-of-age drama, which co-starsCalvin Demba(Kingsman: The Golden Circle),Ben Rosenfield(Boardwalk Empire) andRebecca Henderson(Russian Doll), will open at the Film Forum in New York on Nov. 13 and the Landmark’s NuArt in Los Angeles on Nov. 22 before opening in theaters nationwide on Nov. 29. The film premiered at SXSW to rave reviews, many of which singled out Morrone for her star-making performance.
While Morrone may be best known at this point for datingLeonardo DiCaprio, she is building momentum as an actress, having starred in A24’sNever Goin' Back, and playedBruce Willis' daughter inEli Roth’s remake ofDeath Wish. The up-and-coming actress is said to have strong chemistry with her co-star Badge Dale, who himself has recently done solid work in indies likeLittle WoodsandThe Standoff at Sparrow Creek.
Best known as the frontman for the band Rooney, Schwartzman directed and produced the 2016 featureDreamlandbefore directing last year’s SXSW entryThe UnicornstarringLauren LapkusandNick Rutherford. He launched Utopia with the goal of taking a “filmmaker first” approach, and judging by the reviews forMickey and the Bear, it’s paying off. Watch theMickeytrailer below, and don’t miss Frosty’s interview with the cast at SXSW, which you canfind here.
