Production Begins On SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

Starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley for writer/director Lorene Scafaria.

Cast, crew set for pre-apocalyptic comedy.

Production begins this week on SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, written and directed by Lorene Scafaria. The pre-apocalyptic comedy stars Golden Globe Award winner Steve Carell and Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley.

Confirmed as joining the two lead actors in the cast are – in alphabetical order – Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights), Adam Brody (Damsels in Distress), Roger Aaron Brown (The District), Tonita Castro (The Sarah Silverman Program), Rob Corddry (Mandate’s Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay), two-time Academy Award nominee Melinda Dillon (Close Encounters of the Third Kind), Rob Huebel (Human Giant), Gillian Jacobs (Community), Derek Luke (Focus’ Catch a Fire), Melanie Lynskey (Focus’ Away We Go), T.J. Miller (Cloverfield), Mark Moses (Desperate Housewives), Patton Oswalt (United States of Tara), William Petersen (CSI), Lindsay Sloane (Horrible Bosses), and Bob Stephenson (Jericho).

Two-time Independent Spirit Award nominee Tim Orr is the film’s cinematographer; the production designer is Chris Spellman (Indian Paintbrush’s Jeff Who Lives At Home). Kristin Burke (Insidious) is costume designer; Zene Baker (Mandate’s 50/50) is editor.

Set in a too-near future, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World explores what people will do when humanity’s last days are at hand. Can one man find his greatest love at the worst possible time? As the respective journeys of Dodge (Mr. Carell) and Penny (Ms. Knightley) converge, the two spark to each other and their outlooks – if not the world’s – brighten.

Ms. Scafaria, who wrote the original screenplay, is making her feature directorial debut with the film. She wrote the screenplay adaptation for the 2008 feature Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, also for Mandate, which starred Michael Cera and Kat Dennings.

Focus Features holds U.S. distribution rights to SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, which is being co-financed by Indian Paintbrush and Mandate Pictures. The movie is being produced by Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe Award winner Steve Golin and Joy Gorman of Anonymous Content; and by Indian Paintbrush’s Steven Rales and Mark Roybal. Mandate Pictures’ Nathan Kahane and Nicole Brown are executive producers; Mandate’s Kelli Konop and Indian Paintbrush’s Jeff Sommerville are co-producers. Lionsgate is handling international sales on the title.