News

An unexpected mix of thespians -- Elisabeth Moss, Mark Duplass, and Ted Danson have signed on to star in a new indie entitled “The One I Love,” from first-time feature director Charlie McDowell and first-time feature scribe Justin Lader. Moss and Duplass will play a married couple with relationship issues, while Danson will play their therapist. Duplass will also be executive producing, once again flexing his multi-hyphenate muscles. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the news so far is McDowell’s claim to fame. While he has directed a short, “Bye Bye Benjamin,” scripted by Lader and also starring Danson, he is most notorious for his popular Twitter feed @charliemcdowell (93,000+ followers), on which he adopts the voice of a man listening to his female neighbors who can be heard from the apartment above. Effectively, he makes indignant fun of how stupid every word out of their mouths is. But...

Exclusive: ICM Partners has signed Charlie McDowell, who makes his feature directing debut on the Justin Lader-scripted indie Fighting Jacob. Jamie Bell and Kate Mara are attached to star and Kenny Goodman and David Schiff are producing. McDowell is the son of Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen, and he holds the distinction of being the youngest director to graduate from the AFI program. He’s a regular contributor of short films to Funnyordie.com, and his short Bye Bye Benjamin has screened at festivals. He also wrote the CBS pilot Dear Girls Above Me, based on his popular Twitter feed, which has also led to a book deal with Crown Publishing Group. He had been repped by CAA.

Who's that boy with the girl with the dragon tattoo?  Actress Rooney Mara, best known for her Golden-Globe nominated, man-hating, butt-kicking character Lisbeth Salander, has been spotted out and about with a tall, brooding redhead: her beau Charlie McDowell.   The two, who have been an item since at least 2010 - when they were photographed kissing - were hand-in-hand in Manhattan last week, wearing matching beanies while out shopping.  That weekend they jetted from JFK to Lax, just ahead of Mara's turn on the red carpet. You may not recognize him, but McDowell, 28, comes from Hollywood royalty. His father is A Clockwork Orange...