EXCLUSIVE: Xolo Maridueña (Blue Beetle) and Leah Lewis (Matlock) have wrapped production on Dog Years, an indie romance marking the feature debut of writer-director Mary Bronaugh.
Shot just outside Chicago, the film follows two former best friends who unexpectedly meet up in their hometown seven years after admitting they were in love. Reunited for one exhilarating night, they break into their old high school and question whether they would upend their lives to be together now.
“Dog Years is a very personal story about how the people we love shape us, even if they can’t stay in our lives,” Bronaugh said. “Working with Leah and Xolo has been a total joy. Every day, I was humbled by their passion and dedication to the story and team. I’m so excited for people to see the depth, brilliance, and humor they brought to these characters.”
Last year, the Dog Years script received an outstanding recommendation from the New York Stage and Film Workshop, an invitation-only program known for workshopping Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning scripts for Hamilton, Hadestown, and more. The film also stars Xóchitl Gomez (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) and comedian/musician Brian David Gilbert (HBO’s Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake).
Producers included Aaron Boyd (Columbus, 10,000 BC), Brendan Bennett (Kodama), and Bronaugh. Stephen Mastrocola, Adam Harris Engelhard, Jonathan Lipnicki, and Matthew Helderman of Buffalo 8 (Woman of the Hour, Loving Vincent) served as executive producers. Additional Chicago-based EPs included Seth Savoy, Mike D. Ware, Yajaira Marie Quinto, and Patrick Ryan Richter. The film is produced in association with Sundance-winning production company Full Spectrum Features.
In 2023, Maridueña became the first Latino superhero in a live-action DC film as the lead of Blue Beetle. He’s also been seen starring in Netflix’s hit series Cobra Kai, which just aired its sixth and final season, and is repped by UTA, Valor Entertainment Group, and attorney John Meigs.
Known for starring in Pixar’s Elemental and CBS’s current most-watched series, Matlock, which was just renewed for a second season, Lewis broke out with her lead role in Netflix’s Tribeca prize-winner The Half of It. She is repped by Paradigm, Play Management, and Strong Management.
Gomez is repped by The Savage Agency; Gilbert by UTA and Lit Entertainment Group; and Bronaugh by Summit Talent and Literary Agency.
