Jesse Plemons & Cole Escola To Star In ‘Jonty’ At A24; Lorene Scafaria Directing From Script By ‘Succession’s Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain

**EXCLUSIVE: A24 to Produce New Comedy *Jonty* Starring Jesse Plemons and Cole Escola**

A24 is set to produce *Jonty*, a new comedy featuring Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons (*Bugonia*) in the title role, opposite Tony winner Cole Escola (*Oh, Mary!*). Plot details for the project are currently being kept under wraps.

The film will be directed by two-time Emmy nominee Lorene Scafaria (*Hustlers*) from a script co-written by Emmy-winning *Succession* collaborator Jesse Armstrong, along with Sam Bain, a BAFTA winner known for his work with Armstrong on the film *Four Lions* and Channel Four’s *Peep Show*.

In addition to A24, the production team includes Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen of Square Peg, as well as Lorne Michaels and Erin David of Broadway Video. Executive producers on the project are Emily Hildner and Micah Frank, alongside Jesse Plemons, Jesse Armstrong, and Sam Bain.

**About the Cast**

Jesse Plemons, an Oscar nominee for his work in Jane Campion’s *The Power of the Dog*, has recently been seen starring in Yorgos Lanthimos’ *Kinds of Kindness*, Netflix’s *Zero Day* opposite Robert De Niro, and *Black Mirror*, reprising his role as Robert Daly in Season 7’s *USS Callister: Into Infinity*. He recently reunited with Lanthimos and *Kinds of Kindness* co-star Emma Stone in the darkly comedic genre-bender *Bugonia*, which premiered at Venice and is set for theatrical release on October 24.

Upcoming projects for Plemons include playing Plutarch Heavensbee—a role originally portrayed by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman—in *The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping*. He will also star alongside Tom Cruise in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s forthcoming Warner Bros. film.

Cole Escola most recently starred in the smash-hit Broadway play *Oh, Mary!*, which they also wrote. The play was a 2025 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama, and Escola received a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play. *Oh, Mary!* broke box office records at the Lyceum Theatre, earning two Tony Awards, a New York Drama Critics Circle Special Citation, a Drama Desk Award, a Theatre World Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, and an Obie Award.

In addition, Escola has won a Writers Guild of America Award for their work on *At Home with Amy Sedaris*. Other credits include *Fantasmas*, *Difficult People*, *Man Seeking Woman*, *Search Party*, and *Mozart in the Jungle*.

**About the Director and Writers**

Lorene Scafaria has been nominated for two Emmys and a Directors Guild of America Award for her work on Jesse Armstrong’s acclaimed HBO drama *Succession*. She was previously nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for directing *Hustlers*, starring Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu, which she also wrote.

Her additional credits include writing and directing *The Meddler* and *Seeking a Friend for the End of the World*, as well as penning Sony’s adaptation of the book *Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist*. Most recently, Scafaria directed the pilot and served as executive producer on the upcoming HBO series *I Love LA*, created by Rachel Sennott.

**Representation**

– Lorene Scafaria is represented by UTA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
– Jesse Armstrong is represented by UTA, 42, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
– Sam Bain is represented by UTA, 42, Gotham Group, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
– Jesse Plemons is represented by TalentWorks and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum.
– Cole Escola is represented by UTA, Rise, and Schreck Rose Dapello.
https://deadline.com/2025/09/jonty-a24-movie-to-star-jesse-plemons-cole-escola-1236548612/

Jesse Plemons & Cole Escola To Star In ‘Jonty’ At A24; Lorene Scafaria Directing From Script By ‘Succession’s Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain

**EXCLUSIVE: A24 to Produce New Comedy “Jonty” Starring Jesse Plemons and Cole Escola**

A24 is set to produce *Jonty*, a new comedy featuring Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons (*Bugonia*) in the title role, opposite Tony winner Cole Escola (*Oh, Mary!*). Plot details remain under wraps.

Two-time Emmy nominee Lorene Scafaria (*Hustlers*) will direct the film from a script co-written by her Emmy-winning *Succession* collaborator Jesse Armstrong, alongside Sam Bain, a BAFTA winner known for his work with Armstrong on the film *Four Lions* and Channel Four’s *Peep Show*.

In addition to A24, producers include Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen of Square Peg, as well as Lorne Michaels and Erin David of Broadway Video. Executive producers will include Emily Hildner and Micah Frank, alongside Jesse Plemons, Jesse Armstrong, and Sam Bain.

### About Jesse Plemons

Oscar-nominated for his performance in Jane Campion’s *The Power of the Dog*, Plemons has recently starred in Yorgos Lanthimos’ *Kinds of Kindness*, Netflix’s *Zero Day* opposite Robert De Niro, and reprised his role as Robert Daly from *Black Mirror* Season 4 in Season 7’s *USS Callister: Into Infinity*.

Most recently, Plemons reunited with Lanthimos and his *Kinds of Kindness* co-star Emma Stone in the darkly comedic genre-bender *Bugonia*, which premiered at Venice and is scheduled for theatrical release on October 24.

Upcoming projects for Plemons include portraying Plutarch Heavensbee in *The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping*, a role previously inhabited by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. He will also star alongside Tom Cruise in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s forthcoming Warner Bros. film.

### About Cole Escola

Cole Escola most recently starred in the smash Broadway hit *Oh, Mary!*, which they also wrote. The play was a 2025 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama. Earlier this year, Escola earned a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role in a Play for their work on the show.

*Oh, Mary!* broke box office records at the Lyceum Theatre and received multiple accolades, including two Tony Awards, a New York Drama Critics Circle Special Citation, a Drama Desk Award, a Theatre World Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, and an Obie Award.

Escola has also won a Writers Guild of America Award for their writing on *At Home with Amy Sedaris*. Their additional credits include *Fantasmas*, *Difficult People*, *Man Seeking Woman*, *Search Party*, and *Mozart in the Jungle*.

### About Lorene Scafaria

Lorene Scafaria has been nominated for two Emmys and a Directors Guild of America Award for her work on Jesse Armstrong’s highly praised HBO drama *Succession*. Previously, she received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for directing *Hustlers*, starring Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu, which she also wrote.

Her other credits include writing and directing *The Meddler* and *Seeking a Friend for the End of the World*, as well as penning Sony’s adaptation of *Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist*. Most recently, Scafaria directed the pilot and served as an executive producer on the upcoming HBO series *I Love LA*, created by Rachel Sennott.

### Representation

– Lorene Scafaria is represented by UTA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
– Jesse Armstrong is represented by UTA, 42, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
– Sam Bain is represented by UTA, 42, Gotham Group, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
– Jesse Plemons is represented by TalentWorks and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum.
– Cole Escola is represented by UTA, Rise, and Schreck Rose Dapello.

Stay tuned for more updates on *Jonty* as production progresses.
https://deadline.com/2025/09/jonty-a24-movie-to-star-jesse-plemons-cole-escola-1236548612/