Alliance Cinema Backs David Mamet’s ‘Speed The Plow’ & Lines Up Brazilian YA Adaptation ‘Diary Of A Weird Girl’

EXCLUSIVE: LA and Germany-based producer-financier Alliance Cinema, whose credits include My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Dark Tide, has joined David Mamet’s Speed The Plow as an equity financier.

Speed The Plow, currently in post-production, marks Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet’s return to directing. Adapted from his acclaimed Broadway play, the feature stars Anthony Mackie, Ben Mendelsohn, Sharon Stone, Emily Alyn Lind, Chris Bauer, and Rebecca Pidgeon.

As we told you earlier this year, the new film will diverge to an extent from the play and will be set at the fictional American Prestige Studios, where junior executive Bob Grant (Mackie) is appointed to a head of production role. Grant is emotionally and philosophically unsuited to a job overseeing the production of schlock, but is aided, or impeded, by a studio time server, Charlie Fox (Mendelsohn); an office temp, Karen (Lind); and crazed movie star Gemma Speed (Stone).

The film, which also had help from A.I. on its journey through production, is produced by Tyler Payne, together with Douglas Riggs (Steak & Rosé), Jiarui Guo (Incandescent Productions), Vince Jolivette, and Richie Hill of Filmopoly. International sales are being handled by The Solution Entertainment Group, while Milestone Studios will oversee U.S. sales.

Separately, Alliance Cinema’s Jeanette B. Milio and her producing partner Iris Ramos have secured the exclusive worldwide adaptation rights to the Brazilian novel Diary Of A Weird Girl, written by author Thalita Rebouças and published by HarperCollins Brazil.

The plan is for the YA novel to be developed as a TV series for global audiences with Alliance now deciding on the best creative team to take it forward.

The book follows Carol, a 13-year-old girl who feels “weird” and navigates the ups and downs of pre-adolescence. The story takes in first crushes, school pressures, friendship conflicts, parental separation, and loneliness.

“We’re thrilled to bring one of Brazil’s most beloved young adult novels to television,” said Jeanette B. Milio. Iris Ramos added. “Thalita Rebouças has created unforgettable characters that resonate across cultures, and we look forward to introducing this inspiring story to audiences around the world through a high-quality international television series.”

Thalita Rebouças commented: “The love that Brazilian readers have shown Diary Of A Weird Girl has been the greatest gift. Some stories are simply meant to travel, and I’ve always believed this was one of them. I’m delighted to be partnering with Jeanette Milio and Iris Ramos to bring the novel to the international screen, and I can’t wait for audiences around the world to meet her.”