During a bidding war at the Sundance Film Festival, Amazon Studios has acquired the rights for Late Night, the comedy directed by Nisha Ganatra (The Mindy Project) that was written and produced by Mindy Kaling. Deadline first reported the news. The Mindy Project creator also stars alongside Emma Thompson, Amy Ryan and John Lithgow in the film.
The film centers on a late-night talk show host (Thompson) who is at risk of losing her long-running show right when she hires her first female writer (Kaling) who revitalizes her show and her life.
“Mindy Kaling has crafted the rare film that is both entertaining and powerful. The moment the lights came up after the premiere, we knew Late Night is a film our viewers will love and talk about. It’s an incisive workplace comedy that reinvents all the tropes about women. We too rarely get to see female characters like this — complex, flawed, and unapologetically ambitious. And that’s a credit to Kaling’s writing, Nisha Ganatra’s directing, and Emma Thompson, who delivers a brilliant performance alongside the always incredible Kaling. We can’t wait to share this wonderful movie with our customers, first in theaters and then on Amazon Prime Video,” said Amazon Studios Chief Jennifer Sales.
Late Night features an ensemble cast, including John Lithgow (Daddy’s Home 2), Hugh Dancy (Hannibal), Reid Scott (Veep), Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story) and Megalyn Echikunwoke (Arrow). Production is currently underway in New York. Kaling is producing with Howard Klein, alongside Imperative Entertainment and FilmNation Entertainment.
