Announced more than a year ago, the sci-fi romance Fingernails was originally to star Carey Mulligan. But it looks as if something has changed in the meantime, because coming out of the Cannes Film Market is news of the film being acquired by FilmNation, only with Jessie Buckley starring alongside Riz Ahmed.
As if the combination of the Oscar-nominated Buckley and Oscar-winning Ahmed wasn’t enough, Fingernails also boasts Cate Blanchett as a producer. Greek filmmaker Christos Nikou, who broke out in a big way with Apples back in 2020, will direct his English-language debut.
Here’s the synopsis for what is being described as a “grounded love story” by Deadline…
A new test has been discovered that measures whether couples are really in love. To help couples succeed on their paths, love Institutes have opened to guide them along their journey. Anna (Buckley) is skeptical of the positive result she’s received with her longtime partner, so she starts working in a love institute as an assistant to Trevor (Ahmed), a mysterious, dedicated instructor.
Sounds offbeat, and similar in tone to the films of Yorgos Lanthimos.
Buckley is coming off her Oscar nominated performance in The Lost Daughter, and can be seen in Alex Garland’s Men this week. Ahned recently starred in the sci-fi drama Encounter.
