Maria Bakalova, the Bulgarian actress who rocketed from obscurity to an Oscar nomination after her performance in Sasha Baron Cohen’s Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, has found her next project.
Bakalova has been cast to star in the upcoming romantic comedy The Honeymoon, a British-Italian production from Italy’s Notorious Cinemas. Dean Craig, the director of Love Wedding Repeat and screenwriter on Death at a Funeral, will write and helm the feature, which is set to begin principal photography in early September in Rome and Venice.
Bakalova will play Sarah, a new bride who sets off with her husband on a romantic honeymoon in Venice, only to have the event gatecrashed by Adam’s excessively needy best friend, who turns their perfect lovers’ holiday into a complete disaster. Pico Alexander (Home Again), Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing) and Lucas Bravo (Emily in Paris) co-star. Bakalova will also act as a producer on The Honeymoon.
“This film intrigued me because it’s an escapist comedy that puts a twist on the classic buddy movie format by including a strong female character, particularly from Eastern Europe,” Bakalova said. “I think after almost two years of this pandemic, we’re all looking for something to lift our spirits and help us mentally escape our apartments. Very glad to be on the producing team of the film as well.”
Notorious will produce The Honeymoon in association with the U.K.’s Tempo Productions and Endeavor Content, which is handling worldwide sales for the film. CAA is co-representing domestic rights. Guglielmo Marchetti and Piers Tempest are lead producers.
