Disney is in discussions with Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and David Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon to come on board and produce feature project The Water Man, written by newbie writer Emma Needell. This is a fairytale moment for Needell, fittingly given she has now closed her deal with the studio. The Water Man is Needell’s first spec script.
The Water Man is a magical family drama about a precocious young boy Gunner who, in order to save his ill mother, runs away from home to find a mythic/legendary character called The Water Man, who has been rumored to be able to cheat death. While extremely close to his mother, he and his father Amos have an adversarial relationship and are forced to learn about each other as Amos goes on the search for his son. It has elements of Stand By Me mixed with the tonal ambition of classic Steven Spielberg films like E.T. or Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.
If a deal sets, Oyelowo would play Amos as well as produce alongside Selma collaborator Winfrey.
After “A Wrinkle in Time” earlier this year, Oprah Winfrey is renewing her bond with the House of Mouse for the epic project, here stepping behind the camera as a producer. The Harpo founder isn’t coming aboard the production solo, either; her “Selma” co-star David Oyelowo is also attached, pulling double duty as a producer and actor.
The family feature will follow a young boy who, desperate to save his dying mother, runs away from home to find a mythical healer known as the Water Man. While he sets off to find the legendary character capable of cheating death, his distant father goes to find him. With lives on the line, the father and son are forced to reconnect before time runs out for the person they both love.
While Oyelowo is the only name currently attached, Aisha Coley Casting is on the hunt for additional lead and supporting actors for the film. The project is slated to begin filming in early May 2019 and continue through the summer. Unspecified locations in North Carolina will serve as the backdrop for the fantasy film.
Wasn't Oyelowo briefly rumored to be in Maleficent 2? Maybe this is where that rumor came from because they didn't know anything about the original project.
Listening to most often lately:
Ariana Grande ~ "we can't be friends (wait for your love)"
Ariana Grande ~ "imperfect for you"
Kacey Musgraves ~ "The Architect"
We have learned that the film will begin production this April and is expected to wrap sometime in June. Oyelowo will star and now officially make his directorial debut on the project. Oyelowo will direct off a script from Emily Needell.
The Water Man is a magical family drama about a precocious young boy Gunner who, in order to save his ill mother, runs away from home to find a mythic/legendary character called The Water Man, who has been rumored to be able to cheat death. While extremely close to his mother, he and his father Amos have an adversarial relationship and are forced to learn about each other as Amos goes on the search for his son.
The movie is said to have elements of Stand By Me mixed with the tonal ambition of classic Steven Spielberg films like E.T and Close Encounters of The Third Kind.
Golden Globe-nominated Selma star David Oyelowo has set his first feature directorial outing with The Water Man, a drama written by Emma Needell (featured on the Black List). Oprah Winfrey, who appeared alongside Oyelowo in the Ava DuVernay-directed Oscar-nominated film, is attached as an executive producer. Oyelowo is pulling triple duty, directing, producing, and starring in the film along with Rosario Dawson, This Is Us star Lonnie Chavis, Amiah Miller (War for the Planet of the Apes ), Alfred Molina (Vice), and Maria Bello (History of Violence). Carla Gardini and Monica Levinson are also producers.
Originally set up at Disney, The Water Man is Needell’s first spec script. Shivani Rawat of ShivHans Pictures is financing the project as well as producing with Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films. “We are thrilled to support David on his directorial debut,” said Rawat, CEO of ShivHans. “We can’t wait to start our adventure together in Oregon this Spring.”
The story centers on precocious young boy Gunner (Chavis) who, in order to save his ill mother (Dawson), runs away from home with a local misfit Jo (Miller), to find the legendary figure called the Water Man who has been said to have the power to cheat death. While extremely close to his mother, he and his father Amos (Oyelowo) are forced to learn about each other as Amos goes on the search for his son.
David Oyelowo’s The Water Man, the family adventure film that marks the actor’s feature directorial debut, has been acquired by RLJE Films and Netflix. The pic, which bowed at the 2020 Toronto Film Festival, will now hit U.S. theaters and Premium VOD on May 7 via RLJE, with Netflix releasing the film later this year internationally.
The plot of Black List script by Emma Needell centers on Gunner (Lonnie Chavis), who sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Rosario Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, Jo (Amiah Miller), they journey together into the remote Wild Horse forest — but the deeper they venture, the stranger and more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner’s father (Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing to find them and in the process will discover who his son really is. Alfred Molina and Maria Bello also star.
Curious mix of fantasy and a bit of horror. It looks interesting. And I like that it has some 2D animation. I hope it's better than Brenda Chapman's Come Away in which David Oyelowo was also the dad. I watched that film the other day. I thought I would enjoy it despite the bad reviews since I tend to like fantasy films, but it was truly bad in my opinion. It made me wonder if John Lasseter was right about replacing Brenda Chapman in Brave. Though, to be fair, it's just one movie. Even the best directors make some bad films, and we've seen before that transitioning from animation to live-action is not always easy. By the way, if someone else has seen Come Away, could you explain the ending to me? I didn't get it. Though, even if it's a good one, I doubt it'll make me change my opinion of the film.
