Oliver Stone and Josh Hartnett Team Up for ‘White Lies’: A New Chapter for the Director After Ten Years
Acclaimed director Oliver Stone, known for films like Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, and JFK, has announced his latest endeavor, an original feature titled White Lies. Described as a departure from his previous work, this intimate piece delves into themes of family, loss, and the transformative power of love throughout the course of a lifetime.
The story spans three generations, focusing on Jack Freeman, played by Josh Hartnett. A child of divorce, Jack finds himself repeating his parents’ mistakes in his marriage and with his children. Feeling trapped, he embarks on a passionate escapade intending to find freedom, only to discover he is more lost than ever. His journey takes an unexpected turn when he meets a woman whose life starkly contrasts his own, leading him towards rediscovery.
In a statement, Stone expressed his excitement about the project, saying, “After nearly 10 years away from features, I feel really like I’m starting again, as when I made Platoon and Salvador in 1986. White Lies will find its natural home, because it’s an eternal story of love.”
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Hartnett shared his enthusiasm as well, noting, “Oliver explores a universe in White Lies that feels personal and entirely new material from a filmmaker I have long admired and am excited to work with.”
Principal photography has commenced and will take place across various international locations, including Rome, Italy; Bangkok, Thailand; and Sofia, Bulgaria. Further casting announcements are expected soon.
The film is produced by Fernando Sulichin, alongside Maximilien Arvelaiz and Jordan Gertner from Sulichin’s New Element Media, a company known for producing Stone’s earlier works like Savages and Snowden. Tarak Ben Ammar and Gianluca Leurini from Eagle Pictures will serve as executive producers, along with longtime collaborators James Packer and Jose Luis Manzano.
Stone has been working to bring White Lies to fruition for over a decade. An earlier version of the film had actor Benicio Del Toro attached, but Stone has focused primarily on documentaries in recent years. The project was first reported to be approaching filming by World Of Reel, highlighting Hartnett’s casting.
Sulichin remarked on Stone’s return, stating, “We feel incredibly blessed that Oliver Stone, who has such an extraordinary and distinctive voice, is back writing and directing a narrative feature film for the first time since Snowden. Stone has written or directed some of the most influential films of the last decades, and with White Lies, he returns to original and timeless storytelling that audiences love from him. Josh Hartnett is an actor of remarkable depth and instinct, and exactly who this story calls for.”
Hartnett is set to appear in the upcoming Amazon/MGM film Verity, alongside Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, based on the novel by Colleen Hoover. He recently guest-starred on the television series The Bear and featured in M. Night Shyamalan’s film Trap, which achieved a significant $84 million at the global box office.
Hartnett is represented by Entertainment 360, Verve, and Sloane, Offer. Stone is represented by John Burnham of Atlas Artists.
