Jason Bateman is set to direct a new project for Netflix titled The Cackling of the Dodos, with early details beginning to emerge as production plans take shape. The film remains in development, with broad outlines available through reports from Tudum, and Bateman attached to helm the project.
Despite its title, The Cackling of the Dodos is not about birds; rather, it tells the story of a small-town farmer who stumbles upon a dead body in a grain bin and becomes embroiled in a chaotic cover-up. The official logline clarifies that while the title might suggest a focus on the high-pitched calls of extinct flightless birds, the film is far from a nature documentary. Instead, it explores the messiness and humor of a haphazard cover-up sparked by the discovery.
The screenplay was penned by novelist Rye Curtis, known for his book Kingdomtide. The project will also feature stars Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson, reuniting them after their acclaimed collaboration in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, where Rockwell won an Oscar and Harrelson received a nomination.
This film represents another chapter in Bateman’s ongoing partnership with Netflix, following his past work on various original projects. Bateman has received recognition for his acting, notably earning a SAG/AFTRA Actor Award nomination for Black Rabbit, and starring in the 2024 airport security thriller Carry-On, which spent eight weeks in Netflix’s Global Top 10. He is also well known for his central role in Ozark, which garnered 45 Emmy nominations across its four seasons.
Meanwhile, Sam Rockwell recently appeared in The White Lotus and earned an Oscar nomination for Vice. Woody Harrelson has also received multiple Oscar nominations, including for The People v. Larry Flynt and The Messenger.
As The Cackling of the Dodos moves forward in production, further updates and announcements are expected soon.
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