Ben Stiller’s "Nutcrackers" to Open TIFF

"Nutcrackers," David Gordon Green’s heartfelt comedy starring Ben Stiller, is set to open the 2024 Toronto Film Festival on September 5.

The TIFF opener — marking Stiller’s first starring role in a movie since 2017's "Brad's Status" — will have a world premiere at Roy Thomson Hall, which is filled with ordinary moviegoers (and not only industry people as in Cannes and Venice).

"Nutcrackers" hails from director Mike White and scriptwriter Leland Douglas.

The official description for “Nutcrackers" reads: "Mike (Stiller), a straight-laced workaholic who has to travel to rural Ohio to care for his four nephews after their parents die in a car accident. After weeks of farm-life mayhem, Mike realizes he won’t have to find a new home for the orphaned children. They found a new home for him."

"Nutcrackers" features an ensemble cast that includes Linda Cardellini, Edi Patterson, Tim Heidecker and Toby Huss.

It is expected to have ample star wattage when Gordon Green leads his Hollywood cast up the red carpet outside Roy Thompson Hall on opening night. 

Stiller was in Toronto in 2017 for the premiere of "Brad’s Status". UTA Independent Film Group is handling sales for "Nutcrackers".

Toronto also announced Tuesday that "The Deb", Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut and adapted from the original hit musical of the same name in Australia, will close the 2024 edition. 

The film follows lovable farm girl and high school outcast Taylah Simpkins (Natalie Abbott), who is certain the upcoming Debutante Ball, “the Deb,” is her one chance to redefine herself.

When her cynical city cousin Maeve (Charlotte MacInnes) is exiled to Taylah’s drought-stricken town Dunburn, she thinks the ball is a “heteronormative" bad character and immediately disrupts the status quo. In their search for the spotlight, Taylah and Maeve dig deep to find self-acceptance — and a date to the Deb.

"The Deb" is produced in partnership with Rebel Wilson’s Camp Sugar Productions (Senior Year, The Hustle) and award-winning Australian producer Bunya Productions (The Drover’s Wife, Mystery Road). Danny Cohen executive produces on behalf of Blavatnik’s Access Entertainment.

The film's journey to Toronto was not an easy one, as Wilson has been sued for defamation by three producers behind her directorial debut after she accused them of sexual harassment and embezzlement. Producers Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and Vince Holden, in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claim Wilson lied in an attempt to release "The Deb" at TIFF, as well as secure a writing credit on the film.

For her part, Wilson took to Instagram on Tuesday to celebrate her film getting a berth in Toronto: “Beyond grateful that The Deb will be shared with audiences in Toronto this September! Thank you TIFF for the selection of a film so close to my heart, a film I’ve fought to make as a first time female director – to the cast and crew, and to my awesome fans, thank you for your continued love and support! Let’s go to Toronto!!”.

Despite "The Deb" being selected to debut at TIFF, the producers remain wary because the film is embroiled in numerous credit and licensing disputes allegedly instigated by Wilson.

Picking Nutcrackers as its opener and The Deb as the closer follows a tradition of Toronto leaning into mainstream crowd-pleasers to bookend its September event. 

“This year’s festival is shaping up to be a star-studded event with highly anticipated films that reflect the world around us with humour and empathy, like our opening and closing night selections, Nutcrackers and The Deb,” Anita Lee, chief programming officer at the Toronto festival, said in a statement.

This year’s 49th edition of the Toronto Film Festival will run from September 5-10. 

TIFF earlier added Ron Howard’s survival thriller Eden, Anderson .Paak’s "K-Pops", Sophie Deraspe’s "Shepherds", and "Superboys of Malegaon," by Indian director Reema Kagti, to its 2024 lineup.

Other titles already booked into Toronto are world premieres for "Elton John: Never Too Late", from directors David Furnish and R.J. Cutler, Mike Flanagan’s "The Life of Chuck", and Marielle Heller’s "Nightbitch", which stars Amy Adams as a stay-at-home-mom whose domestic life takes a surreal turn.