EXCLUSIVE: Vertical has acquired North American rights from Sobini to the drama, Lola, written, directed by, and starring Nicola Peltz Beckham (Transformers: Age of Extinction). Marking Peltz Beckham’s directorial debut, the film also stars Virginia Madsen (Sideways), Trevor Long (Ozark), Luke David Blumm (Where the Crawdads Sing), Raven Goodwin (The Station Agent), Richie Merritt (Euphoria), and Will Peltz (The List).
Vertical has slated the film for a day & date release on February 9, 2024.
Set in 2002 Middle America, Lola revolves around nineteen-year-old Lola James (Peltz Beckham) who is desperately working to save enough money to get her little brother, Arlo (Luke David Blumm), out of their toxic home dominated by their mother, Mona (Madsen). All Lola wants is for Arlo to have a chance at the life she never had, nor will. One tragic night her whole world gets uprooted, and from that moment on, nothing will ever be the same.
Filmmaker and star Peltz Beckham stated, “After this five-year labor of love, it’s such an honor to be able to work with Vertical to share Lola, a heartfelt story of generational trauma, perseverance and unconditional love. I have such respect and gratitude for the incredible cast and crew who I had the pleasure of being on this journey with. It takes a village and I love our village.”
Vertical’s SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi commented, “Nicola has done a remarkable job on both sides of the camera, drawing out excellent performances from the talented ensemble while imbuing the film with emotional weight and a sense of lived-in authenticity. We look forward to unveiling it to audiences next year.”
Produced by Will McCance (Crystal Swan), the film is executive produced by Federal Films’ Monte Lipman and Dana Sano (The Hating Game), and Ryan Kirby (Four Good Days). The executive music producer is Quincy Jones (The Color Purple) with the original score by Mervyn Warren (The Wedding Planner).
Additional below the line talent include cinematographer Maddie Leach (Ponyboi) with additional cinematography by Sevdije Kastrati (Zana), production designer Brittany Porter (Taylor Swift: You Need to Calm Down), editors Nick Huey (Barbie) and Andrew Leven (The Bourne Legacy), and casting by Jon Papsidera (Oppenheimer).
Piantedosi negotiated the deal on behalf of Vertical; WME Independent negotiated the deal on behalf of the production.