Barry Keoghan and Riley Keough are set to star in the highly anticipated film Butterfly Jam, directed by Russian filmmaker Kantemir Balagov. This will be Balagov’s first project in English following his Cannes breakout in 2019 with Beanpole, a critically acclaimed film that won Best Director at the festival’s Un Certain Regard section and was submitted as Russia’s entry for the Best International Feature Film Oscar.
Butterfly Jam is set in the Circassian community in New Jersey, with a storyline that revolves around a teenager working in a family-run diner specializing in Circassian cuisine. His father and aunt run the struggling diner, and the teen is preparing for a career in professional wrestling while helping them. However, things take a dramatic turn when his father’s scheme goes awry, forcing the boy to take on the consequences of his father’s failings. As the story unfolds, the teenager finds himself caught in violence that accelerates his maturity.
The production has attracted several talented entities, including AR Content from Alexander Rodnyansky, Why Not Productions led by Pascal Caucheteux (known for Emilia Pérez), and Goodfellas, which will handle the film’s sales.
With Balagov’s last film receiving global recognition and the intriguing storyline of Butterfly Jam, expectations are high for this drama. Keoghan and Keough’s involvement only adds to the excitement, as both have established themselves as captivating actors in recent years.