Angelina Jolie Begins Filming Sunny, a Dark Mafia Thriller Directed by Eva Sørhaug
Jolie stars as a fierce mother fighting to escape an abusive crime boss in the high-stakes drama, praised by producers as a “tour-de-force” performance grounded in survival and family.
Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie has begun production on Sunny, a dark and gripping thriller directed by Eva Sørhaug (Tokyo Vice, Yellowjackets) for Gramercy Park Media, A Higher Standard, and Nickel City Pictures, according to Deadline.
Described as a film in the tradition of classic mafia dramas, Sunny follows a fierce female gangster determined to protect her sons, and herself, from an abusive drug kingpin. When a tragic event pushes her to the edge, she has only hours to plan their escape and secure their survival.
The screenplay, written by William Day Frank, is based on a story he developed with Sørhaug. Producers include Gramercy Park Media’s Nathan Klingher, Jolie, Nickel City Pictures’ Mark Fasano, and A Higher Standard’s Jeffrey Greenstein, in association with Choice Films.
Sørhaug also serves as executive producer. A Higher Standard is overseeing worldwide sales, with WME Independent co-representing domestic rights.
Nickel City’s Mark Fasano praised Jolie’s performance, calling her “a tour-de-force,” adding, “People are going to be shocked by what she brings with this riveting character. This violent world that Eva and Angelina have crafted is grounded in survival and family, led by a mother doing anything and everything within her power to protect her two boys.”
Klingher echoed the sentiment, stating, “Angelina has made this role uniquely her own. Strong, character-driven thrillers like this are rare, and the attention to detail that she and Eva have brought to the film is impressive to watch,” as quoted by Deadline.
Jolie recently earned Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award nominations for portraying Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’s Maria. Her upcoming projects include Alice Winocour’s Couture, Marc Forster’s comedy Anxious People, and The Initiative, a spy thriller reuniting her with Mr. & Mrs. Smith director Doug Liman. She is represented by WME and Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett & Kole.
Sørhaug, a Norwegian filmmaker, made her mark with the psychological thriller 90 Minutes, which premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Her recent television credits include Talamasca: The Secret Order for AMC, as well as Tokyo Vice and Yellowjackets. She is represented by WME, Industry Entertainment, Redefine Entertainment, and the Nord Group.