Netflix Snaps Up Two New Movies Starring Bob Odenkirk and James Wolk
Netflix is ramping up its film output.
Following the release of the potential Oscar contender Beasts of No Nation, Netflix has grabbed two new indie movies, one from Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk and the other featuring Zoo hunk James Wolk.
Odenkirk will star in the dark comedy Girlfriend’s Day as a “down-on-his-luck greeting card writer who attempts to clear his name after he’s framed for murder,” according to the Hollywood Reporter. The actor, who stars in Netflix’s sketch revival of W/Bob and David, also co-wrote the film’s script and will be producing. Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia) will co-star, and Best Worst Movie helmer Michael Stephenson will direct. The film will simultaneously be released in theaters and made available for streaming, just like Beasts of No Nation.
The other film, Mercy, is a home invasion thriller starring James Wolk and Master of Sex’s Caitlin FitzGerald. The Hollywood Reporter says the film focuses “on four estranged brothers who return to their childhood home to be with their dying mother, and find their bond tested after old family secrets begin to surface.” The Knick‘s Tom Lipinski, The Affair‘s Michael Godere and House of Cards‘ Dan Ziskie will co-star in the film, which is written and directed by Chris Sparling, the brain behind the Ryan Reynolds movie Buried. Mercy will be released in theaters prior to making its way to the streaming service.
The films follow Netflix’s recent push into the original movie space. Releases in the works include Brad Pitt’s War Machine, the return of Pee-wee Herman in Pee-wee’s Big Holiday and the sequel Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend. The first of Adam Sandler’s four films to be released via the platform, The Ridiculous 6, bows on Netflix Dec. 11.