Playwriting alumna Maria Alexandria Beech ’07 (GS ’98) will see her latest screenplay, Constance, transition from page to screen this summer. As reported by Screendaily, this survival thriller stars Diane Keaton (Annie Hall) and is directed by Mark Pellington (Arlington Road).
Constance tells the story of a woman, portrayed by Keaton, who attempts to reclaim a day of independence away from her overprotective children, only to find herself ensnared in a harrowing ordeal. The production team includes producers Vincent Newman and Tom Gorai, with Keaton and Stephanie Heaton-Harris serving as executive producers. The film, financed by Contentious Media, is set to begin filming in Los Angeles in August 2024.
“I almost didn’t write Constance," Beech said. “A few months after Mark Pellington and Tom Gorai hired me to write it, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Fortunately, they waited while I underwent surgery, very aggressive chemotherapy (the 'red devil'), and radiation. My February 2020 deadline was moved to June 2020, when I turned in my first draft. The film is now under the care of an all-female production house. I’m thrilled and thankful that Diane Keaton will star in it, and will also executive produce. I feel blessed to be alive, to be working with such a talented director and production team, and that I have the honor of hearing one of the greatest stars in film history say my words. I don’t think a writer could ask for more.”
The UK sales outfit WestEnd Films has joined the project to handle international sales, while Gersh and Contentious Media represent domestic rights. “Constance is a thrilling look at the frightening vulnerabilities and dangers our parents face in every part of the world, in an ever increasingly isolated world,” Pellington said to Screendaily.
Maria Alexandria Beech is a US-educated Venezuelan American writer for stage and screen living in Los Angeles. Her work has been performed in New York, Colorado, Illinois, California, Massachusetts, South Korea, and Venezuela.
