Charlie McDermott (“The Middle”), Vanessa Marano (“Gilmore Girls,” “Switched at Birth”) and John Ross Bowie (“Speechless,” “The Big Bang Theory”) star in “Petunia,” an indie drama written and directed by emerging filmmaker Alec C. Cohen.
“Petunia” follows Alex and Lily, a young couple whose beloved cat falls critically ill. “As they scramble to raise money,” the film’s logline explains, “the pressure exposes cracks in their relationship, testing the limits of love, sacrifice, and resilience against the backdrop of financial strain.”
The film also stars Joshua Burge (“The Revenant”), Lucy Loken (“Young Sheldon”), Lana McKissack (“Countdown”), Joy Brunson (“This Is Us”), Devon Werkheiser (“Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide”), Chris Candy (“Spaceballs 2”) and Paul Eiding (“Transformers”).
“Petunia is about the impossible choices young people face when love collides with the harsh realities of money,” Cohen said in a statement. “It’s a story about resilience, about the bonds we form with the animals who become family, and about what it means to hold on to each other when the world feels like it’s falling apart.”
Cohen independently financed and produced the film, which marks his feature directorial debut; he previously directed several short films (including a proof-of-concept version of “Petunia” in which he starred) and commercials, including work for the NFL, Netflix and Team Deakins. David Hemphill (via The Nancy Boy Corporation) and Colter Kozal serve as producers, with Paul Ruddy casting.
McDermott and Bowie are represented by Innovative Artists, with McDermott also repped by Strand Entertainment and McKuin Frankel Whitehead. Marano is repped by Untitled and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox.
