After working together on The End of the Tour and the Apple TV+ series Shrinking, it’s clear that James Ponsoldt and Jason Segel have a smooth professional relationship. The duo will reconnect for Sponsor, a new psychological thriller headed to the Cannes Film Market.
Produced by Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes banner, Sponsor follows “a drunk driver whose court-ordered recovery program introduces him to an enigmatic 12-step guru, one who slowly drags him into a living hell.”
The script was co-written by Ponsoldt and Segel, further cementing their working partnership.
“We set out to explore what happens when support becomes control, when the person you turn to for salvation slowly becomes your worst nightmare,” Segel and Ponsoldt said in a joint statement posted by Variety. “After collaborating on ‘Shrinking,’ we were excited to channel that same emotional intimacy into a psychological thriller, where the stakes are darker, more dangerous, and deeply personal. We can’t wait to bring this unsettling story to life with such an incredible team.”
Ponsoldt’s most previous feature film was the coming-of-age drama Summering. He also directed Smashed, The Spectacular Now, and The Circle. He’ll be directing episodes of the Marvel Studios series, Wonder Man, as well.
Segel has been focusing mostly on TV of late. Along with Shrinking, he played Paul Westhead in the HBO series Winning Time. His last feature role was in Charlie McDowell’s Netflix thriller, Windfall.
