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Apple Sets Benjamin Cleary Film ‘Swan Song’ Starring Mahershala Ali

Anthony D'Alessandro
·2-min read

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AppleTV+ will be adding Swan Song to its original film slate.

The pic, directed and written by Oscar winner Benjamin Cleary, is a genre-bending drama that is set in the near future, exploring how far someone will go, and how much they’ll sacrifice, to make a happier life for the people they love. Two-time Oscar winner of Green Book and Moonlight, Mahershala Ali, will star in the film as Milo.

Apple is coming in to produce the project with Anonymous Content. The project will go into production this spring and also receive a theatrical release down the road.

Adam Shulman (Defending Jacob) and Jacob Perlin (The Amazing Johnathan Documentary) will produce the film on behalf of Anonymous Content, along with Ali.

“Benjamin’s script for ‘Swan Song’ immediately connected with us,” said Matt Dentler, Apple’s head of feature development and acquisitions. “We cannot wait to bring Benjamin’s vision together with Mahershala’s undeniable talent to deliver this powerfully layered story to audiences around the world.”

“Benjamin Cleary is a rare talent who deftly weaves human emotion into his filmmaking in a way that harkens to many of the great films that began at Anonymous Content such as ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ and ‘Being John Malkovich,’” said Anonymous Content’s Adam Shulman and Jacob Perlin. “We are tremendously grateful to be working with Mahershala Ali and Ben on this thought-provoking project, that we’re sure will be a conversation starter.”

“I’ve been developing Swan Song for a while and when I sat down with Apple it was immediately clear they completely understood my vision,” said Cleary, who won the Best Live Action short Oscar for his 2015 pic Stutterer. “Once Mahershala agreed to join us I knew we had something really special. To be making this movie with Mahershala and Anonymous at Apple is an absolute dream.”

Swan Song joins upcoming Apple Original films that will premiere in theaters and on Apple TV+, including the 2020 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Award-winning Documentary Boys State, The Banker, Beastie Boys Story, On The Rocks, Wolfwalkers and more.

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