Adam Bernstein to Direct Bill Burr in Heartfelt Coming-of-Age Comedy ‘Bender’ Set in Ireland
Irish Coming-of-Age Comedy ‘Bender’ Appoints Adam Bernstein as Director
In an exciting development for the Irish coming-of-age comedy Bender, director Adam Bernstein is set to helm the project. Bernstein, known for his work on the Apple series Pluribus, has been officially confirmed to guide the film, in which comedian Bill Burr stars.
Bender, described as a blend of Superbad and Derry Girls, will begin shooting this summer. The film draws on the late-1970s post-punk coming-of-age experiences of Adrian Cunningham, who wrote the script. The story unfolds in Dublin against the backdrop of an impending papal visit. Burr portrays a rugged American record-store owner who persuades a group of teenage misfits that their best, perhaps only, chance to lose their virginity before high school graduation lies within the frenzy of a massive open-air mass for the visiting Pope.
Producers Lesley-Ann Brandt, known for her role in Lucifer, and Cunningham will produce through their D6 Entertainment banner, alongside Stephen McCormack and Craig Verdon from Irish-based ReflektorMedia. Casting for the film is being handled by Amy Kate Dolan out of London.
Bernstein is an Emmy-winning director with an extensive television portfolio that includes acclaimed series such as Scrubs, 30 Rock, Fargo, Oz, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Californication, The Sinner, Fosse/Verdon, and most recently, Pluribus. In the latter, he directed the notable Episode 7, “The Gap,” which follows a character’s perilous journey through South and Central America amid a world threatened by an alien virus.
In the realm of film, Bernstein previously directed Six Ways to Sunday, a 1997 crime drama inspired by the Charles Perry novel Portrait of a Young Man Drowning, featuring actors such as Norman Reedus and Adrien Brody. His representation is handled by CAA.
