Slowly shaping up to be one of the more unique productions this year, “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby” has gradually acquired a talented cast fit for its two-film premise — that of a troubled marriage told, in each installment, from the husband and the wife's perspective. A few weeks back Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy were locked in as the couple, and now a slew of new names have come up just as the film heads into shooting.
Screen Daily reports an international supporting cast including French superstar Isabelle Huppert, Oscar nominee Viola Davis and William Hurt will appear in the Ned Benson written/directed project, alongside Ciaran Hinds, Bill Hader, and “Teeth” star Jess Weixler. Their individual roles have not been revealed, but with the film following Chastain as a New York City wife surprising her restauranteur husband with the decision to return to college, one can safely assume Huppert and co. will inhabit those respective worlds. One role that is known is that of the couple's therapist, recently filled by actress Nina Arianda, who also made news last week by landing the lead role in Sean Durkin's Janis Joplin biopic, “Janis.”
Another film from this year to apply a conceptual narrative technique to relationships was Fernando Meirelles' fidelity piece “360,” but while that film suffered from its globe-sprawling adherence to its themes, 'Rigby' aims to get it right on a smaller scale. It certainly has the cast to handle whatever challenges are thrown their way, so hopefully Benson can stick the landing to this film, as it seems to us to be ripe with potential.
“The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby” is now filming in New York.