“Bill Murray Shankbone 2010 NYC” by david_shankbone
Searchlight Pictures announced today that Aziz Ansari will make his feature directorial debut which will star Academy Award® Nominee Bill Murray (The French Dispatch, Lost in Translation). Ansari (“Master of None”) who also wrote the script, plays a role in the film and is producing with Youree Henley. Taylor Friedman and Cameron Chidsey are overseeing for Searchlight Pictures.
The film is based on Atul Gawande’s non-fiction book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. Searchlight is developing the untitled project and will release the film theatrically in 2023.
“Aziz Ansari is an incredible talent and, with this script, he brings a singular combination of insightful humor and pathos,” said Searchlight Presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with him on his feature directorial debut which is long overdue, and of course working with the genius Bill Murray once again.”
Ansari is a two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and a nominee for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for Netflix’s “Master of None.” He recently released his 6th standup special for Netflix titled, “Nightclub Comedian” and was director and co-writer of the acclaimed “Master of None: Moments in Love.”
Murray is an Academy Award® Nominee for his starring role in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. He recently starred in Wes Anderson’s critically acclaimed The French Dispatch as well as Jason Reitman’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Coppola’s On the Rocks. Other credits also include Anderson’s Isle of Dogs, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Moonrise Kingdom.
