Alejandro González Iñárritu's BIRDMAN is now filming

If you thought this new movie entitled BIRDMAN that stars Michael Keaton, is a superhero action movie, then think again. Alejandro González Iñárritu is the director of this black comedy that stars Michael Keaton who plays an actor - famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself. The play in the film is an adaptation of Raymond Carver's What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. This is kind of an interesting new route for Keaton, who is well-known as the actor behind Batman during Tim Burton's run on the franchise. If you're not much of a Keaton fan, then check out the rest of the cast that includes Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Zack Galifinakis, and Naomi Watts! Director Alejandro González Iñárritu himself is no small fry as he is notably known to have won the Prix de la mise en scene or best director award at Cannes (2006), the second one being Carlos Reygadas in 2012. His four feature films Amores perros (2000), 21 Grams (2003), Babel (2006) and Biutiful (2010) have gained critical acclaim worldwide including 12 Academy Award nominations. [read more about this after the jump]


Fox Searchlight Pictures and New Regency announced that filming on Alejandro González Iñárritu’s black comedy, BIRDMAN, has begun in New York City.  They will co-finance the picture with Worldview Entertainment.  Iñárritu co-wrote the script with Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo.  The film stars Michael Keaton, Lindsay Duncan, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts.  The film will be a New Regency production with Iñárritu and John Lesher serving as producers.  Worldview Entertainment’s Christopher Woodrow, Molly Conners and Hoyt David Morgan will executive produce alongside Jim Skotchdopole.  The film will be produced by New Regency and Fox Searchlight Pictures will handle marketing and distribution.

“It is thrilling to have such a talented cast to bring this script to life,” says Iñárritu.

“It’s great to be working on Alejandro’s deeply original project with Fox Searchlight and New Regency as they always strive to allow filmmakers to realize their creative vision,” says Lesher.

“We’ve been mesmerized by Alejandro’s work for years. We’re honored to work with this visionary auteur on his imaginative and original dark comedy,” said Claudia Lewis, Fox Searchlight Pictures President of Production.

BIRDMAN or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance is a black comedy that tells the story of an actor (Keaton) – famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to mount a Broadway play.  In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.

The deal was brokered by New Regency’s EVP of Business Affairs Eric Roth and Fox Searchlight Pictures Senior Vice President of Business Affairs Megan O’Brien, and by CAA on behalf of the filmmakers and Worldview Entertainment.  The project will be overseen by New Regency’s President Brad Weston and VP of Production Andrew Calof and Fox Searchlight Pictures’ Lewis.

Fox Searchlight Pictures is a specialty film company that both produces and acquires motion pictures.  It has its own marketing and distribution operations, and its films are distributed internationally by Twentieth Century Fox.  Fox Searchlight Pictures is a unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, a unit of Fox Entertainment Group.

Worldview Entertainment is a leading independent motion picture production and investment company. The company’s slate includes: James Gray’s “Lowlife” starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner; Guillaume Canet’s “Blood Ties” starring Clive Owen; Daniel Espinosa’s “Child 44” starring Tom Hardy with Summit Entertainment; and David Gordon Green’s “Joe” starring Nicolas Cage.

New Regency is engaged in the production and distribution of motion pictures through strategic alliances with media and entertainment companies and was founded by Arnon Milchan, one of the most prolific and successful independent film producers of the past 30 years.