We can exclusively share that WandaVision‘s Paul Bettany has joined Mark Waters‘ next film, Harvest Moon. No, it’s not an adaptation of the popular farm simulator game that’s been a Nintendo staple since 1996. Rather, it’s the story about the early months of the pandemic, where a young boy named Charlie tries to get his estranged parents together again. Bettany will play the father, Johnny. Not only that, he’s also one of the writers behind the project, as he penned the script alongside Dana Brown. Currently, the film is eyeing a production start in October of this year.
Bettany is, of course, famous for his portrayal of JARVIS and the Vision throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet, he does have some writing experience, as he wrote the screenplay for 2014’s Shelter, which starred Jennifer Connelly and Anthony Mackie. He was also behind the director’s chair for that project. He’ll work together with Waters, who worked on a variety of films. He recently directed the Adam Devine-led Magic Camp or Disney+ but also worked on Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and even The Spiderwick Chronicles.
Given the director’s background in more comedic fair, we can expect a similar tone from this film. It’s not every day a boy and his favorite stuffed dog Foofy try their best to get his parents to fall in love again. Bettany has proven his ability of juggling his comedic and more dramatic chops, especially in the recent release of WandaVision. Not only did he replicate the different eras of TV history and their comedy, but still gave us a thought-provoking performance while consulting Elisabeth Olsen‘s Wanda during her time of need, and while facing his alter ego in a philosophical battle on their own existence. Whatever direction the film is heading towards, he’ll certainly give us a memorable performance.
