Verdi Productions, the company behind “Bleed for This,” will back Hal Harley’s “Where to Land.” The film is scheduled to being shooting in the spring of 2023 in Rhode Island.
Hartley, a major force in American independent film, has been trying to get this off the ground for awhile. He launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money in 2020 just before the pandemic hit. He told potential donors that the script was “the best thing I’ve written.”
The film is a farce about a well-regarded 58-year-old director of romantic comedies who wants to become assistant groundskeeper at a local cemetery and work outdoors. Meanwhile, he thinks it’s important to have his last will and testament drawn up. But his actor girlfriend thinks he must be dying and that he is just too brave to tell anyone. The rumor of his impending demise spreads and soon everyone he knows crowd into his small apartment to say their farewells.
Hartley’s films include “Simple Men,” “Trust,” and “The Unbelievable Truth.” His most recent film, “Ned Rifle,” starred Aubrey Plaza, Liam Aiken and Parker Posey. It completed his “Henry Fool” trilogy.
Chad A. Verdi (“The Irishman”) is producing “Where to Land” along with Hartley, Aaron Kaufman (“Sin City: A Dame to Kill For”), Anthony Gudas (“Machete”), Michelle Verdi (“Bleed for This”), Chad Verdi Jr. (“Savage Salvation”) and Paul Luba (“Hot Seat”). Thomas Verdi (“Johnny and Clyde”) will serve as an executive producer.
Hartley stated, “I’m very excited to be working with Verdi Productions to get ‘Where to Land’ made. Their interest in the script was immediate and everyone with the company has been very encouraging.”
Verdi stated, “It is a sincere pleasure to work with a director of Hal Hartley’s stature. We pride ourselves at providing complete artistic freedom while we fully support the production needs of the directors we work with,” Verdi added, “We look forward to see Hal bring his amazing screenplay to life.”
Verdi Productions recently produced “Savage Salvation,” starring Robert De Niro and John Malkovich, and “Junction,” starring Sophia Bush, Bryan Greenberg and Griffin Dunne.