Kristen-StewartSteven Shainberg made a name for himself back in 2002 at the helm of Secretary, the brilliant film led by Maggie Gyllenhaal and David Spader. He went on to direct Robert Downey, Jr. and Nicole Kidman in 2006’s Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus. And now he’s returning behind the helm once more to bring us The Big Shoe.

Announced at the Berlinale 2013, Kristen Stewart and Elizabeth Banks have now come on board, joining Jim Sturgess for Shainberg’s next feature.

“Sturgess plays a gifted shoe designer forced to break free from a family who wants to turn his designs into mass-produced knock-offs. The family hires psychotherapist Mary Kay (Banks) and muse Delphi (Stewart) to lure him back to work.”

Shainberg will be directing from a script he co-wrote with newcomer Mickey Birnbaum.

Andrew Lazar (Get Smart, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) will be producing through his Mad Chance Productions. And Richard Middleton (The Artist) and Christina Lurie (Inside Job) will be executive producers.

“”The Big Shoe gives me the opportunity to explore a playful, romantic, sexy, intimate connection just as Secretary did. Not since that film have I had a script that combines eroticism and humor in such a fun way,” Shainberg said. “This is a script dear to my heart, and I intend to make a truly unique film from it.””

I’m a very big fan of Sturgess in particular, and am glad that he’s been getting more and more prominent roles in recent years. And having the brilliant Stewart and Banks joining him sounds like an excellent leading trio to have here. I can’t wait to see the chemistry and dynamics between Sturgess and Stewart as his muse, and Sturgess and Banks as his therapist.

The Big Shoe is currently being sold to foreign buyers out in Berlin at the European Film Market. Here’s to hoping it will find plenty of interest, and that it sees a smooth road from production to screen. More as we get it.

 

Source: via THR.