Cloris Leachman To Star In LGBTQ Family Drama ‘Jump, Darling’

EXCLUSIVE: Academy Award-winning actress Cloris Leachman has signed on to star alongside newcomer Thomas Duplessie in the LGBTQ family drama Jump, Darling, written and directed by Phil Connell.

The film from Big Island Productions and Level Film follows Russell (Duplessie), a rookie drag queen who is torn between his precarious future as a queer artist and the comfortable life he’s come to know. He escapes to the country, where he finds his grandmother, Margaret (Leachman), in steep decline yet desperate to avoid the local nursing home. An intergenerational family drama with a juicy queer underbelly, the film examines daunting choices for both Russell and Margaret as the pair must face the consequences that come with choosing unconventional paths.

Related stories

Barry Jenkins To Direct Alvin Ailey Movie For Fox Searchlight

Jump, Darling also stars Linda Kash (Waiting For Guffman, Best In Show), Jayne Eastwood (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Dawn of the Dead), Marc Caven as well as drag talent Tynomi Banks, Miss Fiercelicious and Faye Slift.

Katie Corbridge serves as producer while Karen Harnisch (White Lie, Sleeping Giant) will executive produce. Casting was done by Jesse Griffiths.

The film is set to start principal photography in early June, shooting in Toronto and Prince Edward County, Canada.The project was a selection at the first annual Inside Out LGBTQ finance Forum in 2017 and is also supported by the Telefilm Talent-to-Watch Fund. Level Film will distribute the film in Canada.

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.