On November 4th, Apple TV+ will debut the Jennifer Lawrence-starring drama Causeway, which follows a soldier who returns home to New Orleans and must readjust to civilian life. The next A24 feature film is directed by Lila Neugebauer, who has directed for the stage and screen and most recently oversaw the Broadway production of The Waverly Gallery. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be released shortly after. There will be more Apple Originals premieres at TIFF than at any other festival thanks to Causeway and the other four movies the firm is presenting there. Variety reports that the Don’t Look Up and Silver Linings Playbook actress and Emmy Award nominee and Atlanta star Brian Tyree Henry will be in attendance at the festival’s opening night screening on September 10.
The film’s synopsis calls Lawrence’s character, a soldier returning to civilian life, an “intimate depiction,” however specific plot points have not yet been disclosed. Causeway started production in June of 2019 after being announced in April. The script for Causeway was written by Ottessa Moshfegh, Luke Goebel, and Elizabeth Sanders. Causeway is co-produced by IAC Films, IPR.VC, and Excellent Cadaver in addition to the well-known independent film studio A24. Lawrence co-produced Excellent Cadaver with Justine Ciarrocchi, and she also appears in the film. In addition to directing, Neugebauer also takes on the role of executive producer. Apple, which has strong links to TIFF and is riding high after winning the Oscar for Best Picture for CODA, will be submitting four more films for the 2019 festival.
Documentary about Oscar-winning actor and barrier-breaking star Sidney Poitier, produced by Oprah Winfrey and directed by Reginald Hudlin; Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues, which pulls back the curtain on the legendary musician and is directed by Sacha Jenkins (Everything’s Gonna Be All White); Gutsy, based on the Clintons’ acclaimed New York Times bestselling book The Book of Gutsy Women; Sidney, which features Ewan Mc.
Apple’s head of features Matt Dentler stated, “We’re excited to be premiering such a varied range of Apple Originals at this year’s festival. Audiences at TIFF can look forward to a wide variety of films, from documentaries about legendary figures to dramatic works by Oscar-winning directors and performers. We’re excited to provide moviegoers from all over the world with a first look at the film in Toronto. On November 4th, the AppleTV+ service will debut the psychological drama Causeway.