EXCLUSIVE: Sydney Chandler, star of FX and Noah Hawley’s upcoming Alien: Earth, and Shōgun star Takehiro Hira are currently in production on road-trip sci-fi film Anima, which is being produced by celluloid only outfit Kebrado and Fieldhouse Pictures.
Written and directed by documentarian Brian Tetsuro Ivie (Emanuel) in his narrative directorial debut, the film tells the story of an impulsive young woman and a reclusive older man who launch on a poignant cross‑country road trip. Their mission: to preserve his failing consciousness via an experimental memory‑upload procedure at a cutting‑edge facility.
Brian Tetsuro Ivie, Harrison Allen, and Gregory Daniel King produce for Kebrado; Kimberly Atwood and Atty Cleworth produce for Fieldhouse Pictures; Alexander Lycette and Chloe Rahal produce for Gilbara; and Jason Pamer and Brev Moss are additional producers for the project. Moss also serves as a co-story writer.
Brian Tetsuro Ivie is a Japanese-American filmmaker, film producer, and the co-founder of Kebrado, a celluloid-only media company based in New York. All Kebrado pictures are shot exclusively on 70mm, 35mm, or 16mm film stock. He was formerly an executive producer for NBA star Stephen Curry and his Unanimous Media. His most recent producing work includes Wildcat, starring Maya Hawke, Laura Linney, and Cooper Hoffman, which debuted at Telluride and Toronto, and the upcoming Concessions, starring Michael Madsen, Steven Ogg, and Josh Hamilton. As a director, he is in post on Serenity, a documentary about a multi-generational family in the Pacific Northwest.
Chandler will next be seen leading FX’s Alien: Earth, directed by Noah Hawley, and launching in August. She recently appeared in Apple TV+’s Sugar opposite Colin Farrell, and is known for playing Chrissie Hynde in FX’s Pistol, directed by Danny Boyle, and the movie Don’t Worry Darling.
Hira was most recently seen starring in FX/Hulu hit Shōgun, for which he was nominated for an Emmy and Critic’s Choice Award. Earlier this year, he was also seen in Guy Maddin’s Rumours opposite Cate Blanchett as well as Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World. Upcoming credits include Lionsgate’s Karoshi opposite Cynthia Erivo and Teo Yoo, Searchlight’s Rental Family opposite Brendan Fraser, and he’ll reprise his role in Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
“I’ve always loved road movies and I’m very thankful to have two brilliant actors on the journey with me. I really think people will be surprised by where the story goes,” said Brian Tetsuro Ivie.
“Anima is a dream realized on so many levels. The team—both in front of and behind the camera—represents some of the most fearless, talented, and innovative voices working today. It’s the kind of film audiences around the world are yearning for: commercially compelling, emotionally authentic, and unwavering in its artistic vision,” added producer Atwood.
Chandler is represented by UTA and Jackoway Austen. Hira is represented by Principal Entertainment LA and Jackoway, Austen. Fieldhouse Pictures is repped by Lon Haber & Co.
