Marielle Heller Found the Perfect Dog to Play Amy Adams in ‘Nightbitch’

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As a film enthusiast with a keen eye for detail and a deep appreciation for the art of storytelling, I find myself captivated by the unique journey of Marielle Heller‘s latest creation, “Nightbitch.” The intriguing premise of Amy Adams transforming into a dog under the pressures of motherhood is a testament to Heller’s innovative vision and daring approach to storytelling.

In the upcoming movie titled “Nightbitch”, Marielle Heller, who is known for films like “The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Can You Ever Forgive Me, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood“, takes on the role of writer and director. The film stars Amy Adams as a suburban mother who, under the strain of motherhood, starts to believe she’s transforming into a dog. To authentically portray this unique scenario, Heller had to carefully select the perfect canine actor to serve as Adams’s on-screen counterpart. This search, as it turned out, was a challenging and exhaustive process, as reported by Vulture.

At the Los Angeles premiere of Nightbitch on November 21st, Heller shared that she spent a considerable amount of time examining photos of Amy and dogs to find the ideal pairing. She ultimately chose a red husky due to its ginger fur, which mirrored Adams’s hair color.

It Takes A Particular Kind Of Dog To Be A Good ‘Nightbitch’

Finding a dog of this specific breed who could also perform on-screen turned out to be much more challenging than Heller originally thought. She was told, “That kind of dog isn’t in our database because those breeds aren’t easily trained,” she explained. “They’re not the type of dogs we use for films.

Eventually, the trainers selected a red husky named Juno from a shelter and trained her exclusively for the role in Nightbitch. This turned out to be a perfect pairing, as Heller described it, even though Juno didn’t appear alongside other dogs on screen because she preferred not to share the limelight.

Heller mentioned another challenge they faced: “The main concern we had with Juno was her incredible speed. Since you can’t ask a dog to go slower, we ended up having to construct faster equipment just to keep pace with her… It feels odd.

In September 2024, “Nightbitch” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. This movie has been under development since 2022 and initially planned for a Hulu release, but eventually got an upgrade to a theatrical screening through Searchlight Pictures. Besides Adams in the main role, “Nightbitch” features Scoot McNairy, Zoë Chao, Jessica Harper (from the original “Suspiria”), and others. The film is based on the 2021 novel by Rachel Yoder with the same title.

When the project was first announced, Heller stated:

Rachel Yoder’s book left me utterly captivated… It’s been a long time since a book stirred such feelings within me, not since I read ‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl‘ years ago. Rachel’s darkly comedic narrative on motherhood and anger resonated deeply with me. The thought of adapting it, envisioning Amy Adams in the role, has been my source of motivation during these pandemic times.

Nightbitch will hit theaters on December 6, 2024.

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2024-11-22 04:05