Tessa Thompson To Star In Director Steve Buscemi’s The Listener
Olive Productions, Hantz Motion Pictures, Atlas Industries, and Sight Unseen announced today that principal photography has wrapped on their new feature-length film, THE LISTENER. Photography took place in Los Angeles in August and September.
Directed by Steve Buscemi (“Boardwalk Empire”, “Trees Lounge”, “Miracle Workers”), THE LISTENER stars Tessa Thompson (“Passing”, “Creed”, “Thor: Ragnorak”, “Dear White People”) in the only on-screen role of this contained drama, which was written by Academy-Award nominee Alessandro Camon (“The Messenger”).
Beth is a helpline volunteer - 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, worried. 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? Put a mind at ease? Make someone smile? 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 stitch at a time…
THE LISTENER is being produced by Wren Arthur, Steve Buscemi, Oren Moverman, Lauren Hantz, Sean King O’Grady, Bill Stertz, and Tessa Thompson. Kat Barnette and Billy Mulligan are co-producing, with Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, Suzanne Warren, and John Hantz serving as EPs.
Hantz Motion Pictures is fully financing the film, and producing with Olive Productions, Sight Unseen Pictures, and Atlas Industries.