Dennis Farina has been set to star in the independent feature drama, The Last Rites of Joe May, written and directed by auteur director Joe Maggio. The veteran actor is known for his memorable roles in such films as Midnight Run, Get Shorty, and Snatch. Principal photography began November 28th in Chicago. Gary Cole (Office Space), Chelcie Ross (“Mad Men”), Ian Barford (Steppenwolf ensemble member), and Jamie Allman (“The Shield”) will co-star.
Steppenwolf Films will join former New Line Cinema executives Stephanie Striegel and Bill Straus as a producing partner. Tim Evans will executive produce for Steppenwolf. Bobby Schwartz and Dennis Mastro are also executive producers. The production will draw on Chicago’s vast reservoir of stage talent using Steppenwolf Films’ relationships. Farina started his acting career with Michael Mann in Thief and appeared in a number of Steppenwolf Theatre Company productions in the 1980s.
“Joe May” is the story of a short money hustler who always believed that greatness was waiting for him just around the corner. After years of neglecting friends, family, and his own health, Joe befriends Jenny, a troubled young woman and her six-year-old daughter in a last ditch effort to redeem his wasted life. The film will be set in blue collar neighborhoods in Farina’s native Chicago.
