Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise), Allison Janney (“The West Wing”) and Stephen Amell (“Arrow”) have signed on to the comedy Whatever Makes You Happy, which marks the directorial debut of TV writer/producer Cindy Chupack (“Sex and the City,” “Modern Family”).
Here’s the synopsis: Suburban mothers Helen, Carol and Gillian have been friends since their 28 year-old sons were in grade school together. Now, the boys all live in New York City, never call their mothers, and seem to have no sense of direction or responsibility. Feeling marginalized and forgotten, the women impulsively decide to pay their sons an unannounced visit in the city in an effort to make their sons love them again. What they discover is that their sons’ lives may not be the only ones that need fixing.
The film is based on the popular novel of the same name by William Sutcliffe, as well as an earlier draft of the script by Mark Andrus (As Good As it Gets), with the current script written by Chupack. Elijah Kelley, last seen in Lee Daniels’ The Butler, is also in negotiations to join the cast.
Whatever Makes You Happy was developed by Mandalay Pictures with Prescience Film Finance and is currently selling international rights at AFM Film Market through Radiant Films International. Oscar-winner Cathy Schulman (Crash) will produce, with principal photography slated to begin in New York in June 2015.
