A star-studded ensemble, including Elle Fanning and Callum Turner, is coming together for a family thriller from acclaimed director Karim Aïnouz. Entitled Rosebush Pruning, the starry flick will receive its world premiere in competition at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival next month.
Aïnouz directs from a script by Yorgos Lanthimos's frequent collaborator, Efthimis Filippou. Together with Lanthimos, the screenwriter previously penned The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and Kinds of Kindness, as well as two of the filmmaker's early movies, Dogtooth and Alps.
For Rosebush Pruning, Filippou adapts an acclaimed 1965 movie from Italian writer-director Marco Bellocchio on his directorial feature debut. Titled Fists in the Pockets, the film centres on an epileptic young man who plots the murder of his dysfunctional family.
Filippou's adaptation moves the action to Spain, where four American siblings, played by Turner, Riley Keough, Jamie Bell and Lukas Gage, live in isolation and wallow in their inherited fortune.
"When Jack wants to move in with his girlfriend and Ed uncovers the truth about their mother's death, the fabric of the family begins to unravel," the synopsis teases, with a first-look image of the film suggesting Fanning might plays Jack's girlfriend.
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The cast is rounded out by Pamela Anderson, Tracy Letts and Elena Anaya.
"I'm so excited to bring this audacious and delicious script to life, which challenges our notions of the traditional family and the patriarchy, with this brilliant ensemble of actors who I have long admired," Aïnouz said (via Variety).
Meanwhile, Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle praised Rosebush Pruning, describing it as a "twisted thriller about a privileged family unraveling when dark secrets emerge".
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Kristen Stewart and Josh O'Connor were originally attached to the project, but were replaced by Keough and Turner, respectively, in 2024.
Discussing his adaptation of Bellocchio's "astonishing" movie, Aïnouz said: "Marco Bellocchio's astonishing debut, Fists in the Pocket, was released over 50 years ago and had a huge impact on Italian cinema and storytelling at the time. I'm excited to be collaborating with Efthimis to revisit this iconic work to create a contemporary parable about the death of the traditional patriarchal family.
"I hope [it] will be touching and provocative in equal measure. It's a dream come true to be working with such a dynamic ensemble of actors that I have long admired to bring this explosive adaptation to audiences today."
Rosebush Pruning will have its world premiere at Berlinale, running between 12 and 22 February. A wider release date is yet to be announced.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
