Apple Reunites Bill Murray, Sofia Coppola for Its First Original Film From Oscar-Winning Studio A24

Bill Murray and Sofia Coppola are reteaming for a new feature-length film called On the Rocks, which “follows a young mother (Rashida Jones, from Parks and Rec) who reconnects with her larger-than-life playboy father (Murray) on an adventure through New York”. Murray and Coppola have previously worked together on the Oscar- and BAFTA-winning Lost in Translation, more than 15 years ago, and the 2015 Netflix holiday special, A Very Murray Christmas. This will be the first original feature film for Apple, as part of its multi-year partnership with indie studio A24, which is behind Oscar winners such as Moonlight, Brie Larson-starrer Room, and sci-fi pic Ex Machina.

The Hollywood Reporter brings word of the new development, claiming that Murray-Coppola's On the Rocks will go into production during the spring in New York. Coppola will also produce the film alongside Youree Henley (The Beguiled), with Mitch Glazer (The Recruit) and Coppola's brother Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom) serving as executive producers. Ms. Coppola previously worked with A24 on her 2013 satirical crime film The Bling Ring, starring Emma Watson, which was based on a true story.

Apple and A24 announced their movie-producing deal back in November, wherein the latter will produce a slate of original films for the former. A24 can continue to make and distribute films outside of the deal. There is no clarity on several necessary details, be it whether the Apple-A24 movies will have a theatrical release before arriving on Apple's upcoming streaming service, or whether they will have to conform to Apple's reported ‘family-friendly' approach that applies for its original series productions.

The last of those is particularly interesting when it comes to both Coppola and A24's output, which has mostly fallen in the R rating (‘A' classification here in India) over the years. Coppola's last work was 2017's period drama The Beguiled, which won her the Best Director Award at Cannes Film Festival. Murray last voiced a character in Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs and was last seen in his Facebook Watch reality series Bill Murray & Brian Doyle-Murray's Extra Innings. He is currently filming Zombieland 2.