A24 has announced that it has acquired U.S. rights to John Cameron Mitchell’s upcoming How To Talk To Girls At Parties. The film, which is set to start production in November, is based on the award-winning short story by Neil Gaiman, and is set to star Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman and Alex Sharp, a recent Tony award winner for his performance in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Originally published as a short story, How to Talk to Girls at Parties focuses on Enn, a shy teenage punk rocker in 1970s suburban London, and his two closest friends, Vic and John. One night they all sneak into a party where they meet a group of intensely attractive, otherworldly girls; at first they think they’re from a cult, but eventually come to realize the girls are literally from another world—outer space. The leaders of this alien colony have a nefarious plan in mind, but that doesn’t stop Enn from falling madly in love with Zan, one of the colony’s key members. Their burgeoning romance sets in motion a series of increasingly sensational events that will lead to the ultimate showdown of punks versus aliens, and test the bonds of friendship, family, and true love.
Neil Gaiman is executive producing with producers that include Academy Award nominee Howard Gertler (How To Survive a Plague, Mitchell’s Shortbus) and Academy Award winners Iain Canning and Emile Sherman (Shame, Macbeth).
“We are absolutely delighted to be getting on board ‘How to Talk to Girls at Parties,’” says A24. “The script is both great fun and an affectionate celebration of the outsider spirit, and we know John Cameron Mitchell is the perfect person to bring this wild and singular universe to life. We are thrilled to be working with him along with the movie’s top-tier producing team.”
“A24 is the best US indie film distributor for a film like ours,” adds Mitchell. “They combine today’s market strategies with the daring taste that flourished in the 90’s and 00’s. We’re so fortunate to be partnered with them for a genre-busting and hopefully crowd-pleasing creative endeavor that combines the sensibilities of collaborators like Neil Gaiman, Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp, Nico Muhly, Matmos, Xiu Xiu and Sandy Powell.”
Mitchell co-wrote the screenplay with Philippa Goslett. Nico Muhly, Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu and Matmos are on board to compose original music and songs for the project. CAA negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers.
You can also read the full text of How to Talk to Girls at Parties at Neil Gaiman’s official site or, if you prefer, download an audio version. The above image appears courtesy of artist Camilla d’Erricco, who illustrated the original story for a limited edition print that sold on the Neil Gaiman boutique website Neverwear.
