Lea Thompson, Kevin Pollak, Leanne Melissa Bishop and Aaron Ashmore ask WHAT IF. New offbeat family drama from Penguin Pictures and Farpoint Films makes its world debut at TIFF
TORONTO (September 9, 2024) – Penguin Pictures and Farpoint Films announce Lea Thompson (BACK TO THE FUTURE), Kevin Pollak (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, GOODRICH with Michael Keaton, GIRL IN THE POOL), Leanne Melissa Bishop (THE WEIGHT OF PERFECTION, REGRESSION) and Aaron Ashmore (Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia, Sky Med and the upcoming A Case for the Winemaker) will star in their newest feature film, WHAT IF. The offbeat family drama will be directed by TIFF veteran Lindsay MacKay (THE SWEARING JAR, WET BUM) and is written by Leanne Melissa Bishop.
The award-winning cast boasts combined global box-office earnings near the $1B (USD) mark and engaged fans and followers from all over the world.
WHAT IF is produced by Michael P. Mason (PLACE OF BONES, A BUG AND A BAG OF WEED), Leanne Melissa Bishop (IN SEARCH OF, IS YOU IS), and Kyle Bornais (THE SWEARING JAR, FROM THE VINE) of Farpoint Films. Executive producers include Peter Wetherell.
“We are beyond excited about the talented cast we’ve assembled. WHAT IF is filled with complex, layered characters, and this cast’s combined talent and experience are a perfect fit to breathe life into this heartfelt story.” Said Mason. “These days audiences are yearning for authenticity in their content, there’s a real desire globally for films that tell these kinds of universal human stories. Lindsay has such a great instinct with character, we can’t wait to see how she works with this incredible cast to bring the script to life.” He continued.
“I am thrilled to be working with such an exceptional cast on this film that is so near and dear to me. Each talent brings their own unique voice, which will allow all of these characters to come to life. For me, family is very important, and family means different things to many people. Often in life, we find ourselves searching for a sense of belonging, wanting to be accepted. I hope this film helps people to understand, accept, and love themselves, for exactly who they are. I’m excited to see the magic everyone brings to the big screen.” Said Bishop.
What if you always felt stuck in your life, like something didn’t make sense?
What if your whole life you were fighting to fit into the confines of your family?
What if you were born into the wrong family?
And, what is family anyway?
WHAT IF is a quirky family drama about a woman who accidentally discovers in her 40s that she is a by-product of a hospital birth mix-up, sending her on a journey to figure out what family really means. Along the way she reconnects with an old high school friend who has returned to town to face a truth he’s been hiding. Together, they share in their personal journeys and find out who they really are.
Marley (Bishop), new to her 40s, struggles with a mid-life crisis as she leaves her long-term fiancé at the altar. Trying to pick up the pieces, she discovers a dark secret – she is a hospital birth mix-up, she grew up in the wrong family. Suddenly, everything makes sense. At the same time, Marley comes face-to-face with the most significant questions that shake her to the core and need answering.
Although her mother (Thompson) and father (Pollak) mean well, their conservative, orderly life simply doesn’t ‘fit’ Marley and never has. Her new mission becomes finding her real family. As her journey begins, she reconnects with Devan (Ashmore), an old high school friend, and the two embark on an eye-opening road trip full of surprises and discoveries. As they search for Marley’s birth parents, they each begin to learn the truth about themselves and their families, opening them up to lives they would have never imagined possible otherwise.
“WHAT IF is a special film that gives a voice to the choices we make every day,” said producer Kyle Bornais of Farpoint Films. “We might not realize it, but it’s these daily decisions – not the outcome – that bond us together. WHAT IF is a film about the connection that makes us human that will resonate with audiences everywhere. I am excited to be working from Leanne Melissa Bishop’s thought-provoking script, with the amazing Lindsay MacKay as director, and a producing team that includes Michael P. Mason, Tony Wosk and Peter Wetherell.”
Thompson has starred in more than 30 films, 25 television movies, 4 television series, Broadway shows including Cabaret, and more than 20 ballets. She is also an accomplished director of multiple films as well as over 35 television/series episodes. She is repped by Gersh, Gilbertson Entertainment, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner, Endlich, Goodell & Gellman.
Pollak is repped by Gersh and Nelson Davis.
Ashmore is repped by KG Talent.
Leanne Bishop is an award winning American and Canadian actress/writer/producer, and CPA who trained at the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in NYC. Recent award winning credits include THE WEIGHT OF PERFECTION, TELL ME SOMETHING, and IN SEARCH OF. Leanne has two other features in development, CLEOPATRA’S NEEDLE (top 10% of the Nicholl Fellowship), and STRENGTH. Leanne is also developing the TV series Possum with Canadian showrunner Anthony Q. Farrell. She is repped by Helen Campbell at Webster Talent Management.
Lindsay MacKay is a Writer/Director, whose debut feature WET BUM premiered at TIFF in 2014. THE SWEARING JAR Lindsay’s sophomore feature, starring Adelaide Clemens, Kathleen Turner, Patrick J Adams and Douglas Smith made its premiere at TIFF 2022. She’s directed 2 seasons of the award-winning series Ghost BFF and the first season of Running with Violet. Lindsay is a graduate of the York University Film program and went on to get her Masters in Directing from the AFI Conservatory. She is repped by Glenn Cockburn at Meridian Artists.
WHAT IF is currently in the pre-production phase with plans to start filming later this year.
PR is being handled by Lon Haber & Co | IPPR.
About Penguin Pictures
Penguin Pictures was formed in 2018 by partners Leanne Melissa Bishop and Michael P. Mason, with the mandate of producing life-changing film and television with diverse, distinctive, under-represented creatives and talent. Penguin Pictures believes in the ability to make positive change in people’s lives through art. Notable credits include The Weight of Perfection, In Search Of, Tell Me Something, Reservations for Three?, Candice & Peter’s Smokin’ Hot Date, and Is You Is?.
About Farpoint Films
Farpoint Films is an award-winning film, television and digital media production company based in Toronto, Ontario, and Winnipeg, Manitoba. They utilize in-house production and post-production facilities to hand-craft inspiring and creative storytelling.
