Annette Bening and Andy Samberg Team Up in ‘42.6 Years’ as Film Shifts to Focus Features, Directed by Michael Schwartz of ‘Los Frikis’
EXCLUSIVE: The romantic comedy 42.6 Years, starring Andy Samberg, has shifted from Amazon MGM Studios to Focus Features for distribution. This change comes as the film, first announced in 2023, gears up for its release.
Initially, Samberg was set to star alongside Jean Smart, the acclaimed star of HBO Max’s Hacks. However, the film will now feature five-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening, known for her role in Nyad, as his new romantic partner. Additionally, Michael Schwartz, who co-directed the independent films The Peanut Butter Falcon and Los Frikis, takes over direction from Craig Gillespie.
Financial details surrounding the acquisition have not been disclosed, but Universal Pictures International will manage the film’s international distribution.
Written by Seth Reiss, whose credits include The Menu and the upcoming A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, 42.6 Years tells the story of Ben (Samberg), who undergoes an experimental procedure that leaves him cryogenically frozen for 42.6 years. Upon awakening, he seeks to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend Ruthie (Bening), who has experienced a lifetime of change during his absence.
Producers for the project include Ali Bell, recognized for Hitchcock and No Strings Attached, along with Samberg representing Party Over Here.
Annette Bening recently earned her fifth Oscar nomination for her performance alongside Jodie Foster in Netflix’s Nyad. Additionally, her recent appearances include the Peacock miniseries Apple Never Fall and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride!. Bening will soon star in the upcoming Dutton Ranch, a spinoff of Yellowstone, premiering on Paramount+ on May 15, followed by her role in the Apple TV crime thriller Lucky, based on Marissa Stapley’s novel. She is represented by CAA and Gochman Law Group.
Schwartz gained recognition with The Peanut Butter Falcon, a coming-of-age film that garnered a Narrative Spotlight Audience Award at SXSW. His later project, Los Frikis, has also received critical acclaim. Schwartz is represented by WME, Range Media Partners, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
Focus Features is currently in theaters with The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist, directed by Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell. The label is also preparing to release a series of films this year, including the Lorne Michaels documentary Lorne on April 17; the horror flick Obsession on May 15; and the coming-of-age romance Girls Like Girls, among others.
Samberg is represented by UTA and Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett & Kole; Reiss is represented by UTA, Framework Collective, and Hansen.
