Voltage Pictures Brings James Franco Pic 'Maladies' To Berlin

Voltage Pictures has nabbed the international rights to the introspective actors’ piece Maladies starring Academy Award nominee James Franco (127 Hours, Rise of the Apes, Spiderman). Academy Award nominee Catherine Keener (The 40 Year Old Virgin, Into the Wild, Being John Malkovich), Academy Award nominee David Strathairn (The Whistleblower, The Bourne Ultimatum, L.A. Confidential), Emmy nominee Alan Cummings (X2, Spy Kids) and Fallon Goodson (BFF & Baby) co-star. The picture recently finished shooting in New York and is currently in post-production.
Maladies follows three people struggling to coexist together in a little house in a beach town, separated and bonded by their mental illnesses from the rest of the world. Franco plays a former actor whose schizophrenia forces him to leave his craft and remain only a shell of his former self. Keener supports his the cross-dressing best friend whose struggle with her own gender identity precludes her from keeping the group together, and Goodson rounds out the trio as Franco’s sister whose mental detachment exacerbates the tensions already prevalent in the house.
Written and directed by Carter, Maladies is being produced under Franco’s production shingle RabbitBandini Productions by Miles Levy (Howl), Vince Jolivette (The Ape), Jeff Most (The Crow) and Marni Zelnick. The pic was acquired by Nadine de Barros for Voltage Pictures, and Elsa Ramo brokered the deal on behalf of the production.
Worldwide rights are available, and Nicolas Chartier (The Hurt Locker) of Voltage Pictures will be kicking off sales for the international rights at the European Film Market. Voltage will also be debuting footage from their in house production Killer Joe starring Matthew McConaughey and Emile Hirsch. Voltage is also representing Ten Year starring Justin Long and Channing Tatum, and recent Sundance hit Another Happy Day starring Ellen Barkin and Demi Moore at Berlin.