Mary-Louise Parker will star opposite Natalie Portman in HBO’s Days of Abandonment, which is in preproduction at the premium cable outlet. The movie is based on a novel by My Brilliant Friend author Elena Ferrante.
The film centers on Tess (Portman), a woman whose world is turned upside down when her husband abandons her. The film takes a no-holds-barred journey into the mind of a woman in crisis that confronts the norms of motherhood and female identity as Tess traverses the darkest reaches of her own psyche.
Parker (Weeds, Red) will play a mysterious woman — literally; her character is named “Mysterious Woman” — whom Tess starts encountering everywhere she goes, leading Tess to question her sanity.
The movie marks a return to HBO for Parker, who won an Emmy in 2003 for her role in Angels in America. Her recent credits include Mr. Mercedes, Billions and feature film Red Sparrow, and she’s attached to star in and executive produce a follow-up to Weeds that’s in development at Starz (the original Showtime series was produced by Starz parent Lionsgate, which is also behind the sequel). She’s repped by Untitled Entertainment and CAA.
Maggie Betts (Novitiate) is adapting Days of Abandonment and will direct. She also executive produces with Portman and her MountainA partner, Sophie Mas; Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler of Maven Screen Media; former HBO Films head Len Amato of Crash & Salvage; Ferrante; Domenico Procacci of My Brilliant Friend producer Fandango; and Maria Zuckerman. HBO Films produces in association with Medusa.
