Over two years after it premiered to rave reviews at Sundance in 2023, producer Sofia Coppola and director Andrew Durham’s “Fairyland” is finally landing in theaters, courtesy of Lionsgate and WILLA, and the trailer is here (watch below). The movie is Durham’s debut and is set to hit theaters on October 10.
The logline of “Fairyland” describes it as, “a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s vibrant cultural scene in the 1970s and ’80s,” with the plot chronicling “a father and daughter relationship as it evolves through an era of bohemian decadence to the sober and heartbreaking era of the AIDS crisis.”
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The cast includes Emilia Jones, Scoot McNairy, Cody Fern, Maria Bakalova, Bella Murphy, Adam Lambert, Oscar-winner Geena Davis, and newcomer Ness Dougherty. Durham is a veteran film and television professional who has been working on prominent productions for over three decades, dating back to his early days working on as a production assistant on “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me” and “Scream.” His long relationship with Coppola dates back to her first short in 1998, “Lick the Star,” which he produced. He held senior leadership roles at MTV Networks and Fox Television Studios.
“Andrew’s been a friend and a collaborator since the ’90s, we grew up kinda finding our way together, making little short films together,” Coppola told IndieWire at Sundance in 2023. “He’s always someone that I trust with getting notes for my edits, and I’m a fan of Andrew’s films that he made as a kid. So I always want to champion his work. …When I read that book, I thought, ‘Oh, this would make a beautiful film.’ And he came to mind because I thought he knew that world and that story and I thought he could bring something beautiful and I trust his sensibilities.”
Coppola’s last producing project was her own “Priscilla,” which she directed as well and was lovingly received in 2023 (and was executive produced by its subject, Priscilla Presley, adapted from her memoir). She will next release “Marc by Sofia,” at Venice on September 2 — a documentary on fashion designer Marc Jacobs.
Star Emilia Jones will also appear this fall in “The Running Man,” alongside Glen Powell and William H. Macy, due for release on November 14.
Jones discussed with IndieWire her preparation for “Fairyland,” which takes great pains to recreate the atmosphere of San Francisco in the 1970s. “I did a lot of research. I had a scene in the nightclub dancing and Andrew said to me, ‘Don’t do any modern dance,’” Jones said. “There’s actually loads of videos on YouTube of real nightclubs in the ’80s… so I just watched hours and hours and hours of that… And also Maggie [Whitaker], the costume designer, she was so amazing, and the minute I was kind of in costume, I felt like I was in a totally different era. She nailed it.”
“Fairyland” is in theaters everywhere on October 10. Watch the trailer below.
