Mckenna Grace Stars in ‘Spider & Jessie’ With Jesse Williams
Emmy-nominated actress Mckenna Grace (GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE/HANDMAID’S TALE) leads an extremely talented cast in the new film, SPIDER & JESSIE alongside Tony-nominated Jesse Williams (SECRET HEADQUARTERS/TAKE ME OUT), breakout star Jojo Regina (WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING), Dacre Montgomery (STRANGER THINGS), Forrest Goodluck (CHERRY), Fernanda Andrade (MOONKNIGHT), and Malia Baker (THE BABYSITTER’S CLUB). Grace and Williams will also serve as executive producers.
Hungry Bull Productions led by Joseph Restaino (PIG, PASSING) and Jeff Hoffman (LANSKY) from Above The Clouds have joined forces to produce the upcoming SPIDER & JESSIE, which began production on August 30th in Florida. Written and directed by Dan Kay, the script was developed from a story by Kay and Julia Keller. Grace stars as Spider in the lead role with Jojo Regina as her sister, Jessie.
SYNOPSIS: After discovering their mother has fatally overdosed, two scrappy sisters, terrified they’ll be separated by an overburdened foster care system, conceal the body. But as the local police chief, mom’s drug counselor, and her volatile ex-boyfriend get closer to uncovering the truth, the girls will have to decide just how far they are willing to go to keep their secret buried.
“I’m so grateful to be a part of this important story about addiction and how it affects not only the addict, but those around them. I was aware of how prevalent drug use and addiction was, but in doing this film, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of just how big of a problem it is. Many of our own cast and crew have shared their experiences and it’s heartbreaking. Doing this is more than just making a film, it’s creating and being a part of something that is bigger than ourselves,” said Mckenna Grace.
“I am honored to join this incredible producing team and cast led by the words and direction of Dan Kay. Shining a light on the shared human conditions that lead to and from addiction, provides us an opportunity to examine our compassion for those impacted today as well as for those pathologized in our recent past,” said Jesse Williams.
“I’ve been interested in telling stories about addiction and the opioid epidemic for years because, like millions of Americans, I have seen firsthand how this insidious disease not only destroys the life of the addict but tears apart the fabric and foundation of the addict’s family. This damage – the collateral damage caused by addiction – compelled me to tell this heartbreaking but vital story about opioid orphans,” said Director and Writer Dan Kay.
Garnering rave reviews for her performance, Mckenna Grace currently appears as “Mrs. Keyes” in the “The Handmaid’s Tale.” She received an Emmy nomination for her role last season, making her the youngest-ever nominee in a Guest Actor category. This past year, Grace appeared as the lead of Sony’s blockbuster hit “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.” On television, she is about to star in “A Friend of the Family,” a true-crime limited series, opposite Anna Paquin and Jake Lacy. Earlier this month Grace starred in “The Bad Seed Returns” for Lifetime, a feature which she also executive produced and co-wrote with her father. Other notable film roles include starring opposite Viola Davis in Amazon’s feature “Troop Zero” and opposite Chris Evana and Octavia Spencer in “Gifted,” as well as standout supporting roles “Captain Marvel” and “I, Tonya.”
JESSE WILLIAMS is an activist/actor/entrepreneur and former high school teacher. Williams earned a Tony Award nomination in his Broadway debut in the Tony Award winning revival of “Take Me Out” (2022) and will next be seen in Your Place or Mine with Reese Witherspoon as well as in his return to Broadway for the newly-extended run of “Take Me Out”. Williams spent twelve seasons in his acclaimed role as ‘Dr. Jackson Avery’ on ABC’s hit series Grey’s Anatomy and has appeared in TV and films including The Cabin in the Woods,Little Fires Everywhere, Brooklyn’s Finest and the Paramount action/comedy film Secret Headquarters, with Owen Wilson. Williams executive produced the 2021 Oscar winning short film Two Distant Strangers and served as both senior producer and correspondent alongside Norman Lear for their EPIX docuseries “America Divided.” Williams is a partner and board member of the #1 scholarship app in the world, Scholly, which has matched students with over $100M. He is co-founder of both BLeBRiTY and Ebroji mobile apps and executive producer of “Question Bridge: Black Males,” a transmedia art installation in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture’s permanent collection. He sits on the Board of Directors for both Advancement Project and Harry Belafonte’s arts and social justice organization, Sankofa.org.
“Dan’s vision for SPIDER & JESSIE is a true testament of his unique voice as a writer/director, and one that we can’t wait to introduce to audiences across the world. Having such an incredible cast attached, led by Mckenna Grace and Jojo Regina, speaks directly to the special nature of the story Dan has devised. At Hungry Bull Productions, our focus has always been to work with the best talent and bring forward meaningful stories, SPIDER & JESSIE represents precisely that. We are thrilled to be working with such great partners on this project in Above the Clouds as well,” said Joseph Restaino, Producer/CEO Hungry Bull Productions.
“When I first read Kay’s powerful script, I cried and laughed and was touched to my soul by these sisters in the story having to survive the loss of their mother to an opioid overdose. Watching this script come to life with such amazing performances, incredible locations and beautiful cinematography is nothing short of a miracle, and will greatly raise awareness of this tragic epidemic,” said Jeff Hoffman, Producer/CEO Above the Clouds.”
Hungry Bull Productions had a breakout year in 2021 with four films releasing theatrically which included Rotten Tomatoes Golden Tomato Award for Best Drama and Best Limited Release PIG starring Nicolas Cage and Alex Wolff and Executive Producer of Sundance 2021’s and four-time BAFTA nominated PASSING directed by Rebecca Hall, starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga (Indie Spirit Award winner Best Supporting Actress and Golden Globe Nomination). Above the Clouds newcomer recently had the successful release of LANSKY with outstanding performances by Harvey Keitel, Sam Worthington and John Magaro, directed by Eytan Rockaway.
Hungry Bull Productions and Above the Clouds are financing SPIDER & JESSIE. Joseph Restaino, Jeff Hoffman, Tony Stopperan, Dan Kay, and Dan Sima are producing the film.Executive Producers include Mckenna Grace, Jesse Williams, Russell Gray, Yaniv Hoffman and Leal Naim. Dominic Medina serves as Co-Producer, Melissa McNerney as Associate Producer, and Pip White as Director of Photography. WME Independent will represent the project’s worldwide rights.