Glen Powell, Laura Dern, and Anthony Mackie have been cast in a new legal drama movie, Monsanto.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Powell will lead Monsanto, a new legal drama that’s co-written and directed by John Lee Hancock. Dern and Mackie will also play roles in the upcoming film, which is headed to the Cannes Film Market later this month.
What is Monsanto about?
Monsanto tells the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell) who takes on a seemingly insurmountable case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie) who used Monsanto’s best-known product Roundup, a wildly financially successful weed and grass pesticide killer, as part of his job as a high school groundskeeper. During the trial, Dr Melinda Rogers (Dern), the chief toxicologist of the Monsanto Company, testifies with certainty that Roundup is safe.”
The Big Short’s Adam McKay is producing Monsanto alongside Kevin Messick, Moritz Borman, Eric Kopeloff, Philip Schulz-Deyle, and Jon Levin. Along with Hancock, the script was written by Michael Wisner, Alexandra Duparc, and Ned Benson.
“I’ve always been fascinated by true stories of ordinary people against extraordinary odds. This story encapsulates that spirit with a critical issue that affects us all. And it’s a privilege to bring it to audiences with an exceptional filmmaker and powerful cast,” Powell said of Monsanto in a press release.
Dern added, “I’ve loved my collaborations with John Lee and look forward to working with him again. There couldn’t be a more vital story to be a part of.”
“I was drawn to this contemporary David vs. Goliath true story because I found it dramatic, moving, quite funny, and of critical importance in today’s world,” said Hancock. “My ambitions are to deliver a smart, thoughtful, and commercial legal drama that takes the audience on a human journey.”
Hancock is known for directing 2002’s The Rookie, 2004’s The Alamo, 2009’s The Blind Side, 2013’s Saving Mr. Banks, 2016’s The Founder, 2019’s The Highwaymen, 2021’s The Little Things, and, most recently, 2022’s Mr Harrigan’s Phone.
