It’s hard to believe that Alex Wolff is still only 21 years old. A former child actor—he got his start on the popular Nickelodeon series “The Naked Brothers Band“—Wolff has assembled an impressive collection of starring and supporting roles in a short time. These range from prestige television (“In Treatment“) to blockbuster summer films (“Patriots Day“) and best-of-decade caliber horror (“Hereditary“). It’s the kind of work that suggests someone earnest about his craft; it’s also the kind of diverse body of work that points to a degree of interest in filmmaking that goes beyond acting.
Read More: We Discuss ‘The Cat and the Moon’ With Writer/Director/Star Alex Wolff
So it should come as no surprise that Wolff is already moving behind the camera. The first trailer for “The Cat and the Moon,” Wolff’s upcoming coming-of-age film set in New York City, offers a sobering look at one teenager’s life in and out of the world of music. Back in 2015, we talked to Wolff about his debut feature as both a writer and a director. Here’s what he had to say:
It’s basically about this kid who comes to New York while his mom is treated in a rehab facility back in Detroit. And his dad passed away a little while ago so he’s here sort of stranded in New York living with this older jazz musician played by Mike Epps [in a] sort of unbelievable tour-de-force traumatic turn. And he’s living with this older jazz musician and while he’s there he meets these kids in New York, these sort of upper middle class kids who take him under their wing and show him around the city.
While plenty of filmmakers get their start making movies about New York City—the city’s, like, another character, you know?—there’s a thread of autobiography in Wolff’s story that makes the whole thing very intriguing. Wolff’s father is a semi-famous jazz pianist; he grew up in and around the world of music, and he surely has something to say about the singular focus most musicians (young and old) adopt to achieve greatness. Any way you slice it, “The Cat and the Moon” promises to be another fascinating step in one of Hollywood’s most impressive young careers.