EXCLUSIVE: Emily Deschanel (Bones) is set to star opposite Amelia Brantley in Monkey Bread, an indie marking Brantley’s feature directorial debut, which she also scripted.
Exploring the challenges of navigating Los Angeles as a 30-something struggling actor, the film is a family drama following Ruth (Brantley), who, while tightroping the line between dreams coming true and utter disappointment, gets a gig babysitting for one of her idols and comes face to face with the life she thinks she’s always wanted. Deschanel plays a movie star who is trying to juggle family, motherhood and her career.
Others in the cast include Samuel Hunt (Chicago P.D.), Grant Jordan (Howdy, Neighbor!), newcomer Ethan Lichterman, and Keith Kupferer (Ghostlight). Brantley and Brenden Rodriguez are producing, with Hunt, Dan Steinberg, and Robert Massar serving as executive producers. Production is currently underway in Los Angeles and Chicago.
In a statement accompanying the casting announcement, Brantley said, “Working with Emily and this incredible cast has been full of pinch-me moments. I still can’t believe I’m directing and getting to tell a story that is so deeply personal. This film is a love letter to my fellow artists who continue to create and try and hope and push forward. I’m very excited for people to see it.”
Best known for starring opposite David Boreanaz in Fox’s hit procedural Bones, which ran for 12 seasons, Deschanel has also been seen on TNT’s Animal Kingdom, with additional roles in films like My Sister’s Keeper and Cold Mountain. She is repped by Gersh and Principal Entertainment LA.
As an actor, Brantley has been seen on series including Animal Kingdom and The Lincoln Lawyer, among others. She is repped by Metropolitan Talent Agency and Venture Entertainment Partners.
Hunt is repped by GVA Talent Agency; Jordan by Allegory Creative Talent; and Kupferer by Gersh and Fusion Entertainment.