AGC Studios is set to captivate the global audience with the debut of their enticing mystery comedy flick, Poolman, marking a significant shift in Chris Pine’s career as he embarks on his first directorial endeavor. This eagerly awaited film is all geared up for its global revelation at the forthcoming Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) slated for September this year.
The promotional materials paint a compelling image of Pine, who will take the center stage as Darren Barrenmen, a character with a humble profession of a swimming pool cleaner. As per the movie synopsis, Barrenmen is portrayed as a hapless daydreamer and an aspiring philosopher, who busily devotes his days to maintaining the Tahitian Tiki apartment block pool in the sun-drenched landscapes of Los Angeles. His ordinary life takes a thrilling twist when he unwittingly uncovers what could be the largest water theft in LA’s history since the infamous Chinatown episode.
The narrative follows Barrenmen as he forms questionable alliances, particularly with a glamorous and well-connected femme fatale, while chasing down every possible lead involving dishonest city officials, washed-up Hollywood personas, and cryptic patrons – all in an endeavor to preserve his cherished Los Angeles.
The Poolman cast, announced in February 2022, is a stellar assembly of talent. Apart from Pine, the movie introduces Danny DeVito and Annette Bening in the roles of Jack and Diane, Barrenmen’s neighbors. Other notable appearances include Jennifer Jason Leigh, John Ortiz, and DeWanda Wise, though their roles remain undisclosed.
On the production front, Pine collaborates with Ian Gotler on the screenplay, and the duo also shares the production responsibilities with Shiny Penny Production’s Stacey Sher and Wicious Pictures’ Patty Jenkins. Fans would remember Jenkins as the director who brought Pine’s character to life in Wonder Woman and its sequel, Wonder Woman 1984. AGC has entrusted Poolman’s distribution rights to renowned distributors such as Paramount and Lionsgate, amongst others for international markets, with the expectation that American sales will kick-off at TIFF.
Poolman Stirs Anticipation and Earns Acclaim
Although the complete storyline of Poolman is carefully guarded, the film has been creating waves of anticipation since its initial announcement. In a conversation with Esquire, Pine disclosed the underlying theme of the film as a journey of self-discovery and maturation, saying it explores “a boy-man becoming a man, individuating and figuring out who he is separate from his parents, and coming to terms with the idea that he’s felt alone.”
Pine further unraveled that it was Jenkins who influenced him to experiment with direction. Recounting their conversation, he said Jenkins felt he was “really bored”, suggesting that perhaps his inspiration had plateaued, and he was stuck in a repetitive routine. Jenkins confirmed this sentiment, suggesting Pine “do something else on these tentpoles besides wait in your trailer.” Jenkins’ belief in Pine’s talent is evident in her prediction that Poolman marks the beginning of a promising journey for Pine as “a big-time, prolific director” and that his future might be inclined more towards writing and direction rather than acting.
The much-anticipated film, Poolman, is scheduled for its premiere at TIFF, which is set to unfold from Sept. 7 to Sept. 17, 2023. As of now, no official announcement has been made regarding the film’s release window.
