Studiocanal and Imperative Entertainment are teaming up on psychological thriller Cat Person, based on Kristen Roupenian’s well-received short story published in The New Yorker in 2017.
Directed by Susanna Fogel (The Flight Attendant) and written by Michelle Ashford (Masters of Sex), the package will star Nicholas Braun (Succession) and Emilia Jones (Locke & Key).
The story follows the brief relationship between Margot, a twenty-year-old sophomore college student, and Robert, an older man who is a regular at the movie theater where Margot works.
The short story was the year’s most downloaded fiction published in The New Yorker.
The project, which from afar has a hint of Promising Young Woman about it, will be produced by Imperative Entertainment’s (The Mule) Jeremy Steckler, in association with 30WEST who arranged the financing. Studiocanal is launching sales at this week’s Cannes virtual market with 30West co-repping domestic.
Director Susanna Fogel commented: “Using Kristen’s excruciatingly well-observed short story about the horrors of dating as the jumping off point for an actual genre film, Cat Person will explore the hellscape of modern romance and the idea that we have all been the villain in someone else’s story, and the victim in others.”
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Jones is coming off rave reviews for Sundance winner Coda. Braun is currently in production on series three of HBO hit Succession.
Fogel is repped by UTA and Margaret Riley at Lighthouse. Braun is repped by Brillstein Entertainment Partners, UTA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Jones is repped by ICM and ARG Talent.