Millenium Entertainment has unveiled our first look at Accidental Love, a political romantic comedy starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Biel. If this film seems to have come out of nowhere, that’s because it was originally titled Nailed, and director David O. Russell (American Hustle) had his name replaced with the pseudonym “Stephen Greene.” Check out the trailer and poster below.
The film features Jessica Biel as Sammy Joyce, a socially awkward small-town receptionist who has a nail accidentally shot into her head by a clumsy workman, eliciting wild sexual urges. The uninsured Joyce goes on a crusade to Washington to fight for the rights of the bizarrely injured. She meets an immoral congressman (Jake Gyllenhaal) who takes advantage of her sex drive and capitalizes on her crusade as Joyce heads into her own career in politics.
O. Russell shot most of Nailed in 2008, but production was shut down due to money issues before a key scene was in the can. Financiers tried to resuscitate the project for two years before O. Russell ultimately left in July, 2010.
“The circumstances under which the film would now be completed are much different on several fundamental levels than when we embarked several years ago,” O. Russell remarked at the time. “I, unfortunately, am no longer involved in the project and cannot call it ‘my’ film.”
Since then, O. Russell has unexpectedly become one of Hollywood’s hottest directors, helming such Oscar-caliber hits as The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle. Unfortunately, by replacing his name with a nom de plume, the producers cannot capitalize on that streak and the film is getting a low-profile VOD release with a small theatrical window. O’ Russell, meanwhile, is currently in talks to helm Joy, reuniting him with stars Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro.
The screenplay for Accidental Love is co-written by Kristen Gore (daughter of Al Gore), based on her novel “Sammy’s Hill,” and co-stars James Marsden, Tracy Morgan, Catherine Keener, James Brolin, Kirstie Alley and Paul Reubens. It will be released on February 10.
