Joe Coomer’s novel The Loop serves as the inspiration for A Bird of the Air, a comedy/drama/romance starring Rachel Nichols (Conan the Barbarian) and Jackson Hurst, directed by first time feature film helmer Margaret Whitton. Roger Towne adapted Coomer’s novel for the big screen.
Paladin will be releasing the film in the fall of 2011, so says the company’s president, Mark Urman.
Commenting on the pickup, Urman said, “This is a truly enchanting film that took me completely by surprise. Not only does it introduce two enormously appealing stars who are relative newcomers to the independent film scene, but it also establishes Margaret, an actor whose work I have long admired, as a highly-skilled director with a point of view all her own.”
Coomer’s book “tells the story of Lyman (Hurst), a lovable loner whose job patrolling highways at night, aiding stranded motorists and injured animals, keeps him at a distance from other people. When an extremely rare and highly talkative parrot flies into his home one day, Lyman needs to figure out where the bird comes from and tries to decode its often cryptic and highly literary utterances. Enlisting the aid of Fiona (Nichols), a sexy librarian who is as interested in Lyman’s secrets as she is in the bird’s, the pair set off on a search that doesn’t always lead them where they think they’re going, but which gradually leads them to one another.”
Executive producer Warren Spector stated, “We’re looking forward to working with Mark Urman and his team at Paladin. Mark’s credentials in the world of specialty distribution are second to none, and we’re delighted that he brings such expertise and passion to the distribution of this very special film.”
“Mark Urman has an incredibly deep understanding of all aspects of filmmaking, and his wonderful taste and instincts — coupled with boundless energy — should make for a very exciting theatrical life for A Bird of the Air,” added producer Steven Tabakin. “We couldn’t be in more capable hands.”
The A Bird of the Air cast also includes Judith Ivey, Linda Emond, Buck Henry, Phyllis Somerville, and Anjanette Comer.
