Looking to craft something very different from his quirky musical comedy drama Frank, Lenny Abrahamson is starting to crank the cameras on his latest, Room. He’s just added William H. Macy, Joan Allen, Sean Bridgers, Tom McCamus and Megan Park to the cast{
Room is based on the 2010 novel by Emma Donoghue, which is itself based loosely on the real life case of Elisabeth Fritzl. Fritzl was imprisoned in a secret basement space by her appalling father Josef for 24 years, bearing him several children, which he explained as foundlings. She was discovered in 2008, and her father was jailed for life in 2009.
In Donoghue's Booker-shortlisted version, this becomes the story of Ma (Brie Larson), seven years a prisoner with a five-year-old son called Jack (Jacob Tremblay), who is also the novel's narrator. Their captor remains offstage, given little attention, since the focus is Jack's worldview, having never known anything but the small space in which he lives. But that world is about to be shaken when he and Ma are finally freed.
Donoghue adapted the script herself and shooting has now started in Toronto. Macy has been back behind the camera himself for Rudderless, and will also be seen in Cake, Stealing Cars, Blood Father and Dial A Prayer. Allen had a role on the most recent season of The Killing and appeared in indie thriller** A Good Marriage**.