An update on this project, originally announced in 2023, and which has just started production: “42.6 Years,” a Focus Features romantic comedy with genre elements, starring Andy Samberg and Annette Bening, has just added another member to its cast.
Florence Pugh has seemingly joined the film. Pugh was spotted during filming in Manhattan, though her casting has not been officially announced. Based on the synopsis, she may be playing a younger version of Bening’s character.
Pugh is always a welcome addition to any cast. Her notable credits include “Lady Macbeth,” “Midsommar,” “Little Women,” “The Wonder,” “We Live in Time,” “Thunderbolts*,” and “Oppenheimer.” She can next be seen in “Dune: Part Three” and “Avengers: Doomsday” — yes, she appears in both “Dunesday” movies.
“42.6 Years” follows Ben (Samberg), who, after an experimental procedure leaves him cryogenically frozen for 42.6 years, sets out to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend, Ruthie (Bening). While he hasn’t aged a day, she has lived an entire lifetime without him.
Michael Schwartz, who helmed the well-reviewed indie “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” is directing. The script comes from Seth Reiss, who wrote “The Menu” (well received) and “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” (less so).
Schwartz broke out with “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” a coming-of-age story about a young man with Down syndrome who dreams of becoming a wrestler, starring Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson, and Shia LaBeouf. The film won the SXSW Narrative Spotlight Audience Award. His follow-up, “Los Frikis,” co-directed with Tyler Nilson, is a drama about ’90s Cuban punk rockers who deliberately infect themselves with HIV in order to gain entry to a government-run sanatorium, where they attempt to create a utopian refuge.
“42.6 Years” does not yet have a release date, but it appears to be targeting a 2027 debut. Production is scheduled to continue in New York City through next month.