By Travis Johnson
Australian director Jonathan Teplitzky (Burning Man, The Railway Man) is reuniting with his Gettin’ Square screenwriter, Chris Nyst, for the crime comedy Mr. Cranky. Irish actor Brendan Gleeson is set to star as the titular crime boss, who finds himself saddled with a seven year old orphan during a vicious gang war.
The full synopsis: After a gangland contract is taken out on him, Kevin finds himself on the run with his ex-girlfriend’s precocious seven year old daughter. His paper-thin patience is pushed to the limit as he contends with drug-dealing clowns, wannabe gangsters and murderous hitmen, whilst inadvertently learning how to be a Dad.
On paper that sounds like it has an equal chance of being great or unbearable, but in the deft hands of Teplitzky and Nyst, our money would be on the former. Plus, anyone who’s seen Gleeson in In Bruges, Calvary or The Guard will be champing at the bit to see him do his thing in this kind of scenario.
Mr. Cranky is in pre-production now, with an expected release date in the back half of 2017.
