Although sci-fi comedy can be a difficult genre-pairing to navigate at the feature level, recent films Palms Springs and the 11-time Oscar-nominated Everything Everywhere All At Once has proven the perfect medley between the two can be achieved. The writer-director duo Rachel Wolther and Alex H. Fischer plan to try their hand at the ambitious genre fusion with their upcoming film Nobody Nothing Nowhere. The feature is still in the early stages of production, however, preparations have already been made to sell the high-concept feature to international buyers at the upcoming European Film Market. According to a Deadline report, the film already has star-studded names attached to the project, with Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer, Emmy winner Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Emmy nominee Lucy Liu on board as leading cast members.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Nobody Nothing Nowhere tells the story of Ruth, one of many humanoids called “Non-People.” These beings’ sole purpose is to exist as background characters to simulate a realistic world for the last remaining individual on Earth, a dull man named Dave. However, Ruth grows weary of serving as an extra in Dave’s life and decides to take matters into her own hands to demand a free life of her own.
Although the roles for Spencer, Gordon-Levitt, and Liu have not been announced yet, the trio’s involvement in the film as leads means they will play integral parts in the feature. Spencer expressed excitement for Nobody Nothing Nowhere and working alongside Gordon-Levitt and Liu in a statement to Deadline.
Nat McCormick of The Exchange also spoke highly about the upcoming project.
“Nobody Nothing Nowhere is a wholly original feature film that presents a world and its characters in an entirely unique way. Having the opportunity to work with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lucy Liu is a dream come true! It is always a priority for me, and my partners at Orit Entertainment, to produce projects that entertain and bring the light, hope and promise audiences are craving. I am excited to be part of such an inventive and thoughtful project.”
Nobody Nothing Nowhere was penned by Wolther and Fischer, and the pair is set to direct the feature. Executive producers include Brian Clisham and Stephanie Kluft of Orit Entertainment, Brian O’Shea, Nat McCormick, and Caddy Vanasirikul of The Exchange, Blair Ward and Anders Erden of Orogen Entertainment, and Christina Campagnola under a banner that has yet to be announced. In addition, veteran producers Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald of the Department of Motion Pictures, and Allison Rose Carter, are on board as producers for the film alongside Spencer, Gordon-Levitt, and Liu.
“Not only is Nobody Nothing Nowhere a strong commercial project with a hilarious script, but the film also subtly tackles social issues in a mind-boggling cinematic universe. We are incredibly proud to represent this project at a market and play a part in bringing it to audiences around the world.”
Filming for the project is slated for summer 2023. Further details about the high-concept, sci-fi comedy will be unveiled in the coming months.
Nobody Nothing Nowhere Co-Creators Are Frequent Collaborators
NBC
Nobody Nothing Nowhere marks new territory and new heights for the writer-director duo Wolther and Fischer. The absurdist sci-fi comedy is the feature directorial debut for Wolther, whose catalog mostly includes shorts and writer credits. Fischer’s most notable work comes from the Sundance 2020 movie Save Yourselves!, but his background includes music videos, sketch comedy, and web series. Their first collaboration was for Snowy Bing Bongs Across the North Star Combat Zone, the 2017 adventure comedy short adapted from a Cocoon Central Dance Team live performance.
The duo knew each other for about five years before coming together in 2018 to pen the script for Nobody Nothing Nowhere. The script was developed in the Sundance Screenwriter Labs and eventually landed on The Black List that same year. When describing their creative process in an interview with IonCinema, Wolther and Fischer mention that overlap in their styles meet in the middle like a Venn diagram and describe their collective work together as “absurdist, comedic, and conceptual.”
The idea for Nobody Nothing Nowhere came from an initial premise that Fischer brought to Wolther. “I had this idea for a literal solipsistic universe where just one guy exists and the movie is about the other people who don’t exist — like what does that mean.” Wolther was immediately on board, fully resonating with the idea. “I was like, ‘That’s my whole life, like I’m not a real person. The world is built for people who are not like me, and I just have to fight be alive.’” That notion became the “thrust of what the movie was about,” according to the duo.
