Independent entertainment company A24 has released the casting for the upcoming film The Legend of Ochi, reports Deadline. The fantasy epic is written and set to be directed by Isaiah Saxon as his debut feature. The cast for the film is star-studded with multiple award winners and nominees such as Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, At Eternity’s Gate), Emily Watson (Hilary and Jackie, The Happy Prince), Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), and Helena Zengel (System Crasher, News of the World).
In the film, Zengel will star as a young girl who runs away from home. During her adventure, she meets an elusive animal species referred to as Ochi and learns to communicate with them. Little is known about the roles the rest of the cast will play at this time, but insiders compare the story to early Peter Jackson films in citing how eager A24 was to produce the film. The Legend of Ochi is set to include an original score by composer Dave Longstreth, the lead singer of American indie rock band Dirty Projectors.
Saxon is currently known for his work on music videos and his founding of the animation studio Encyclopedia Pictures. He has directed music videos for artists such as Björk, Panda Bear, Dirty Projectors (during which he began collaborating with Longstreth), Kanye West, and Grizzly Bear.
Saxon and Encyclopedia Pictures are set to produce the film alongside Traci Carlson and Richard Peete for Neighborhood Watch and Jonathon Wang for Year of the Rat. Executive producers include The Russo Brothers, Mike Larocca, Angela Russo-Otstot, Louise Lovegrove and Alex Plapinger. A24 will handle the distribution of the film.
A24 is well known for their willingness to take chances on up-and-coming filmmakers such as Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) and Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar). The Legend of Ochi will be a tremendous opportunity to see Saxon transfer his skills to the big screen. With his studio Encyclopedia Pictures developing an animated series for Apple and the launch of their miniseries DIY for Cartoon Network, Saxon is truly unfolding his creative talents.