Production has officially begun in Paris on Miles & Juliette, a new feature from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Bill Pohlad and his production company, River Road Entertainment. The film stars Damson Idris as legendary jazz musician Miles Davis and Anamaria Vartolomei as French singer and actress Juliette Gréco.
The supporting cast includes J. Alphonse Nicholson as drummer Kenny “Klook” Clarke, Jay Reeves as jazz pianist and composer Tadd Dameron, and Grammy-winning musician and producer Terrace Martin as saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker. Denny Love will portray James Moody, Lodric D. Collins will play Max Roach, and Hubert Point-Du Jour will appear as John Coltrane. A first-look image from the film has also been unveiled.
Pohlad is producing the project alongside Andrew Van Wyk for River Road Entertainment, with Kim Roth and Dan Clifton also serving as producers. Mick Jagger and Victoria Pearman are producing through Jagged Films.
Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Zora Howard, Miles & Juliette explores a pivotal chapter in the life of a young Miles Davis. The story follows the 22-year-old musician during a transformative trip to Paris in 1949, where he meets and falls in love with Gréco, who was emerging as a defining figure of the postwar Left Bank’s artistic and intellectual scene.
Against the backdrop of a culturally vibrant Paris, the film examines the relationship between two young artists whose lives intersect before either achieves international fame. For Davis, the journey was his first time outside the United States, introducing him to a dynamic community of musicians, artists and intellectuals while shaping his personal and creative development.
“I’ve been captivated by the idea of telling this story — a fleeting encounter between two extraordinary young artists that becomes something neither of them could have imagined,” Pohlad said. “There’s something deeply cinematic about that kind of love: the music, the city, the artists, and the moment in time. Watching Miles & Juliette come to life with this remarkable cast and crew is a dream come true.”
The film marks another exploration of musical genius and artistic legacy for Pohlad, who previously directed Love & Mercy, a biographical drama about Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson. The film starred Paul Dano, John Cusack, Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti.
With its blend of romance, jazz history and postwar Parisian culture, Miles & Juliette offers a glimpse into a formative period in the life of one of music’s most influential figures.
Email: neill@outloudculture.com
