Full Breakdown
“Last Meals” Gathers Star Power Ahead of Autumn Shoot
By Drooid · · How we work
Film Synopsis & Core Details
“Last Meals” is an upcoming drama written by Oscar-nominated director Ramin Bahrani and based on Justin Piasecki’s Academy Nicholl Award-winning screenplay. Mads Mikkelsen stars as Walter Karat, a former White House chef now cooking for death-row inmates. The plot follows Walter’s uneasy alliance with inmate Reed (Boyd Holbrook) and food critic Hannah (Tessa Thompson) as they probe a possible wrongful conviction amid a national political debate.
Cast and Creative Team
The ensemble adds BAFTA, Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Tessa Thompson and two-time Oscar nominee Michael Shannon, who portray a local critic and Governor George Callahan respectively. Executive producers include Renée Tab (Sentient Entertainment), Charles Porter (Black Bench Productions), and the principal talent—Mikkelsen, Bahrani, Piasecki, Thompson and Holbrook—who also serve as executive producers. Producer Tab previously earned Emmy, Golden Globe and PGA nominations for projects such as “Dead Ringers” and “Feud: Bette and Joan.”
Production Schedule & Sales Partnerships
Production is slated to begin in the fall, with principal photography set to start shortly before the season’s end. International sales are being handled by HanWay Films, while North-American representation comes from UTA Independent Film Group and WME. Territorial deals have been secured across Japan (Synca Creations), Benelux (Paradiso Filmed Entertainment), Australia & New Zealand (Transmission Films), Spain (Vertigo Films), Switzerland (Pathe), Turkey (Chantier), Singapore (Shaw Renters), Greece (The Film Group), the Middle East (Front Row), the Baltics (Acme Film), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo), and the former Yugoslav region (Blitz Group). Forum Film Ltd acquired rights for Israel, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic; Vuelta Germany covers Germany and Austria, and Scanbox handles Scandinavia.
Official Statements & Responses
Gabrielle Stewart, CEO of HanWay Films, highlighted the project’s momentum, emphasizing the “formidable ensemble” and the breadth of distribution partners as evidence of the film’s significance.
Verbatim Quotes
“We are excited that ‘Last Meals’ is going to shoot this autumn,” — Gabrielle Stewart, HanWay Films CEO