Amazon Studios Starts Production on ‘The Map of Tiny Perfect Things’ with Kathryn Newton and Kyle Allen
Photo: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com 
Photo: Ga Fullner / Shutterstock.com
Amazon Studios, FilmNation Entertainment and Weed Road Pictures have started principal photography on The Map of Tiny Perfect Things from director Ian Samuels (Sierra Burgess is a Loser). The feature film is based off the short story by Lev Grossman, who also adapted the screenplay. Currently shooting in Alabama, The Map of Tiny Perfect Things stars Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies, The Society) and Kyle Allen (American Horror Story, The Path), alongside cast members Jermaine Harris (Ballers), Anna Mikami (Birds of Prey, Instinct), Josh Hamilton (Eighth Grade, Ray Donovan) and Cleo Fraser (The Unicorn, Transparent).
A teenager contentedly living the same day in an endless loop gets his world turned upside-down when he meets a girl who’s also stuck in the time warp. What follows is a love story with a fantastical twist, as the two struggle to figure out how – and whether – to escape their never-ending day.
Producers are FilmNation Entertainment’s Aaron Ryder (Arrival) and Ashley Fox (Promising Young Woman) and Weed Road Pictures’ Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind) and Greg Lessans (My Best Friends Girl), with executive producer Scott Lumpkin (Doctor Sleep).
“We believe this fun, hilarious story will resonate with our global Prime Video audiences and we’re looking forward to director Ian Samuels bringing the story to life ,” said Matt Newman, Co-head of Movies at Amazon Studios. “We’re also thrilled to be working closely again with our friends at FilmNation Entertainment and excited to be working with Weed Road Pictures.”
Ian Samuels is a writer/director whose award-winning, hybrid work, including his MTV produced short Myrna The Monster, has screened worldwide at festivals, including: SXSW, Telluride, and Slamdance. He received his MFA from California Institute of the Arts in film directing, and a BFA from Bard College in writing. He was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film in 2015. He directed the Netflix Original film Sierra Burgess is a Loser.
Making Variety’s 2017 Power of Young Hollywood list, Kathryn Newton can effortlessly shift between comedic and dramatic roles. Most notably, Newton stars in season 2 of the hit Netflix original series The Society and in HBO’s Golden Globe nominated and Emmy Award winning drama Big Little Lies. Her recent credits include an untitled body swap thriller opposite Vince Vaughn and produced by Jason Blum, Legendary’s Detective Pikachu, Ben Is Back alongside Academy Award winning actress Julia Roberts and Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges, Point Grey Pictures/Universal’s comedy Blockers and the BBC/PBS miniseries Little Women opposite Emily Mortimer and Angela Lansbury. Newton was also in CW’s Wayward Sisters and Supernatural, AMC’s Mad Men and Halt and Catch Fire and CBS’s Bad Teacher. Other credits include Lady Bird, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, CBS’s Gary Unmarried and Paramount’s Paranormal Activity 4.
Kyle Allen recently wrapped the Universal feature All My Life, opposite Jessica Rothe, and later this year he will be seen in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming feature West Side Story, which premieres in December. He previously appeared in the 8th season of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story, and played the son to Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan for 3 seasons on the hit Hulu series The Path. Allen is a world class athlete, competing on the Jr. Olympic National team in the area of sports acrobatics. He trained from the age of 13 at the Kirov Academy of Ballet.
Samuels is represented by CAA, Newton is represented by WME and Management 360 and Allen is represented by UTA and Management 360.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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