‘The Starling’ Director Ted Melfi Teams Up With Netflix for the Upcoming Thriller ‘Underworld’
Director Ted Melfi has had a lot of success with his past films since his 2014 comedy hit St. Vincent. He hopes to repeat this same pattern with The Starling, which was released on Sept. 17 in select theaters. The upcoming Netflix film premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival and will be available on the streaming site on Sept. 24.
Melfi is already a go-to director for many studios. He was just announced as the writer, director, and producer of Netflix’s adaptation of Don DeLillo’s book Underworld.
Before ‘The Starling,’ Ted Melfi directed ‘St. Vincent’ and ‘Hidden Figures’
Melfi graduated from Missouri State University and moved to Hollywood, working odd jobs until he acquired enough money to make his first feature film in 1999. To make Winding Roads, the director read Film Directing Shot by Shot. He told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, “I figured out, there’s only six shots in the whole world. And if there’s only six shots, it’ll be really hard for me to f*** it up.”
In 2014, he made St. Vincent starring Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O’Dowd, and then-newcomer Jaeden Lieberher. The film centered on the unlikely friendship between a pre-teen boy and his gruff and often inappropriate next-door neighbor.
Hidden Figures is arguably his most tremendous success, which he directed and co-wrote with Allison Schroeder. The biographical drama centered on Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, three Black women crucial to the moon landing.
For his efforts, Melfi was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2017, Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Like ‘The Starling’ Ted Melfi and Netflix will also helm ‘Underworld’
Underworld, Melfi’s next project, also takes on heavy source material. Don DeLillo’s 1997 novel tells the story of Nick Shay, a waste management executive from the Bronx, who traces the history of the baseball used in “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World,” which produced three home runs and a pennant win for the New York Giants. Through his lead character’s search, DeLillo incorporates other historical events and Nick’s personal life.
Numerous literary critics lauded the book, which was a finalist for both the 1997 National Book Award and the 1998 Pulitzer Prize. Underworld is considered DeLillo’s magnum opus.
Netflix acquired the film for over eight-figures. As previously mentioned, Melfi will write, direct, and produce the film. So far, no cast members have been announced, nor has a release date been set.
‘The Starling’ is on Netflix on Sept. 24th
If you are interested in what Melfi is currently doing, The Starling released on Netflix in September. In it, the director reunited with two St. Vincent cast members, Melissa McCarthy and Chris O’Dowd.
The film follows married couple Lilly and Jack Maynard (McCarthy and O’Dowd) after a loss that both are struggling to deal with. Jack decides to head to a facility to deal with his grief while his wife remains in their home.
Instead of handling her own issues, Lilly must deal with the appearance of a starling that nests in her yard and starts attacking her every chance it gets. She enlists the help of a psychologist turned vet to help her solve her problems at home. As Melfi told Deadline, “It’s an evergreen story of getting through something hard, and fighting for something that you know is worth fighting for.”
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