Kevin Costner and Jake Gyllenhaal Team Up for Amazon MGM’s ‘Honeymoon with Harry’ (Exclusive)
Glenn Ficarra and John Requa Join Long-Running ‘Honeymoon with Harry’ Dramedy at Amazon MGM
After more than two decades in development, Honeymoon with Harry is finally moving forward, with Amazon MGM securing the rights and setting Kevin Costner and Jake Gyllenhaal to star.
Directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, known for their work on the acclaimed dramedy Crazy, Stupid, Love and the Hulu series Paradise, are attached to helm the project. The screenplay is penned by Dan Fogelman, who is also producing alongside Mike Karz of Gulfstream Pictures and Jennifer Salke, former Amazon MGM head, making her producing debut through her new banner, Sullivan Street Productions.
The film is based on an unpublished novel by Bart Baker and tells the story of a man (Gyllenhaal) who embarks on an unexpected honeymoon with his would-be father-in-law (Costner) after his fiancée dies two days before their wedding.
Honeymoon with Harry has a storied history dating back to 2004. Over the years, it has attracted high-profile talent, including Paul Haggis—Oscar-winning director of Crash—who once wrote a draft and planned to direct a version that involved Vince Vaughn and Jack Nicholson. Jonathan Demme also showed interest with a script by Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married). In 2015, Fogelman came on board when New Line Cinema considered Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro for the leads. By 2017, Nick Cassavetes was attached to direct.
Producer Mike Karz has been a steadfast champion of the project since first setting it up at New Line 21 years ago. After the rights lapsed, he tirelessly sought a new home for the film, ultimately keeping Fogelman’s version intact.
This marks a reunion for Karz and Gulfstream Pictures with Amazon MGM, following recent productions like Upgraded starring Camila Mendes, and One Fast Move featuring KJ Apa and Eric Dane.
Jake Gyllenhaal is a familiar face at Amazon, having starred in the streamer’s successful Road House remake last year, which is among its biggest hits. A sequel is scheduled to film later this fall. Gyllenhaal also earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor for his role in Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent.
Kevin Costner, Oscar winner for Dances with Wolves and star of Yellowstone, has been focused recently on his passion project, Horizon: An American Saga, an ambitious multi-part Western.
