Carrie Coon, Ben Platt and Lukas Gage have signed on to star in a new psychological thriller, I Am Not Your Mother, a project now headed into international sales ahead of the Cannes market. The film — directed by Craig Johnson and co-written with Ryan O’Connell — arrives at a moment when stories about celebrity obsession and identity speak directly to how audiences consume fame today.
What the film is about
The story follows Ollie, a young queer filmmaker with a complicated past (played by Platt), who becomes intensely focused on Nora Dresden (Coon), a once-iconic actress plotting a comeback. What begins as a professional collaboration escalates into a dangerous power struggle that tests the boundary between creative inspiration and control.
Producers say the tone will mix dark comedy with psychological suspense, tracking a relationship that becomes increasingly fraught as the characters’ private histories and public personas collide.
Creative team and industry positioning
Craig Johnson, who received the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance for The Skeleton Twins, directs. Johnson’s recent filmography also includes The Parenting and Alex Strangelove. He co-wrote the script with Ryan O’Connell, best known for the Netflix series Special.
Mister Smith Entertainment will handle international sales at Cannes, with U.S. rights co-repped by CAA and UTA. The film is currently in pre-production.
- Title: I Am Not Your Mother
- Director: Craig Johnson
- Writers: Craig Johnson & Ryan O’Connell
- Principal cast: Carrie Coon, Ben Platt, Lukas Gage
- Producers: Jared Ian Goldman, Zola Elgart Glassman
- Production companies: Mighty Engine; co-financiers include Unapologetic Projects and Working Barn Productions
- Sales / distribution: Mister Smith (international sales); CAA and UTA (U.S. rights representation)
- Status: Pre-production; sales launch set for the Cannes market
Mighty Engine is producing, with Jared Ian Goldman (known for Russian Doll) and Zola Elgart Glassman attached as producers. Financial partners listed on the project include Chris Quintos and Tyler Boehm of Unapologetic Projects, plus Naia Cucukov and Peter Richards of Working Barn Productions.
Shane Kelly, Mister Smith’s SVP of International Sales & Acquisitions, described the screenplay as a contemporary reimagining of the obsession-thriller, updated for a moment where fan culture and self-curation blur public identity. He framed the film as one likely to resonate with a generation steeped in social-media performance.
Johnson, commenting on the cast and collaborators, called the production a chance to explore darkly comic territory with a talented ensemble and independent partners, and said the filmmakers are aiming for a bold, visceral tone that blends humor with tension.
Why this matters now
The project lands at a time when distributors and buyers at festivals are prioritizing star-led indies with strong festival potential and topical resonance. A thriller that interrogates fame, fandom and artistic control — anchored by widely recognized actors — can be attractive both commercially and critically.
Beyond market dynamics, the film also adds to ongoing conversations about queer representation behind and in front of the camera: the central character’s identity and the involvement of Ryan O’Connell in the screenplay increase the project’s cultural relevance.
Representations on the deal: Coon is represented by UTA; Platt by CAA and other agencies; Gage by WME; Johnson is also represented by UTA and Mosaic.
With international sales gearing up at Cannes and production ramping up, I Am Not Your Mother is a title to watch as buyers decide which midbudget, auteur-driven thrillers will get a global rollout over the next year.
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Hello, I’m Declan. I share my film reviews and discoveries with you to enrich your moviegoing experience.