A24 has officially tapped two of Hollywood’s fastest-rising talents – Cailee Spaeny and Drew Starkey – to lead the studio’s upcoming adaptation of Deep Cuts, based on Holly Brickley’s acclaimed 2025 debut novel.
The casting marks a shift from earlier reports that Saoirse Ronan and Austin Butler would star; both actors exited due to scheduling conflicts, opening the door for Spaeny and Starkey to take on the musically charged love story.
What's the plot?
Deep Cuts unfolds across the early 2000s, focusing on two music-obsessed twentysomethings who collide in a campus bar and spark a creative partnership that lasts a decade. The story follows their attempts to balance ambition, longing, artistic frustration, and the universal desire to be heard. Brickley’s novel – an Indie Next Pick and a Best Book selection from People and Barnes & Noble – moves between Brooklyn basements and San Francisco dance floors, examining how love, talent, and ego intertwine.
The film’s current logline suggests a faithful but modernised retelling rooted in that same spirit of chaotic early-adulthood discovery.
Why were Cailee Spaeny and Drew Starkey chosen?
A24’s decision to pair Spaeny and Starkey follows a series of standout performances from both actors in films under the production studio's umbrella. Spaeny, fresh off Civil War, Priscilla, and Beef Season 2, has quickly become one of the studio’s most trusted collaborators.
Starkey, meanwhile, broke out in A24’s Queer and continues to gain momentum with upcoming roles in Apple’s Lucky and Jeff Nichols’ King Snake. Their chemistry, range, and rising profiles make them a natural fit for a story that relies on emotional intimacy and artistic tension.
Who else is involved?
Durkin—known for The Iron Claw—will direct and produce alongside A24, with Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, and Josh Safdie (director of the upcoming, highly-anticipated Marty Supreme) also producing.
Grammy-nominated musician Blake Mills will create original music, ensuring the film’s sonic identity is as expressive as its narrative.
When will the film be released?
Production for the film begins in early 2026, placing a likely release window in late 2026 or early 2027.
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