Simon Pegg will face an unusual kind of industry crisis in “My Phone Died,” an upcoming dark comedy that casts him as a Hollywood agent trying to survive a worldwide phone apocalypse.
Mark Duplass and Haley Joel Osment are also attached to star in the film, which is scheduled to begin shooting in spring 2027. Filmmaking partners Hannah Leder and Alexandra Kotcheff will write, direct and co-star.
The story begins when smartphones start exploding across the globe, upending life as the characters know it. The survivors include a Hollywood agent, an Amish woman, a social media influencer, a pregnant agoraphobic and her shotgun-carrying stoner mother. Amid the destruction, that group discovers the end of the familiar world could offer an unexpected fresh start.
Pegg will play Gus, an agent who narrowly survives the phone-related catastrophe. Duplass has been cast as one of Gus’ self-absorbed clients, who does not escape the disaster.
Osment will portray a social media influencer who is also a recovering alcoholic. Kotcheff plays Francis, a woman who left her Amish community for Osment’s character, while Leder will appear as Lillie, a heavily pregnant, agoraphobic aspiring actress.
A Second Feature From Leder and Kotcheff
“My Phone Died” brings Leder and Kotcheff back together for their second feature as writer-directors. Their first was the 2019 indie comedy-drama “The Planters.”
The new film is being produced through Fire Tiger Films and Thank You So Much, the respective companies of Kotcheff and Leder. Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park International has acquired all international rights ahead of the American Film Market.
Carl Clifton of Hyde Park International described the project as “a mad gem of a movie,” praising its combination of humor, originality and warmth.
“It’s hilarious, smart and utterly original and there’s a genuine warmth that Hannah and Alexandra bring to their characters and every aspect of their filmmaking, that will make for a totally adorable, zeitgeisty and life-affirming movie,” Clifton said.
Leder and Kotcheff said the story reflects both their concerns about where the world may be heading and their longing for a less complicated era.
“We’re over the moon to be working with this extraordinary cast and Hyde Park, a company that champions original, global cinema,” the pair said. “Our world feels like it’s teetering on the brink of mind-blowing innovation and total self-destruction. ‘My Phone Died’ is our grappling with that, and our nostalgia for simpler times.”
ShowBiz Take
The significance of “My Phone Died” lies in the way its central disaster is directly tied to the lives of its characters. A Hollywood agent, his client and a social media influencer all occupy a story in which the technology connecting them to their work and public identities suddenly becomes the threat.
The movie also gives Leder and Kotcheff substantial creative control: they are writing and directing together while taking on two of the central survivor roles. With Pegg, Duplass and Osment joining them, the project combines its apocalyptic premise with a character group drawn from sharply different worlds.
For Leder and Kotcheff, the film also represents a continuation of the writing-directing partnership established with “The Planters,” while expanding the ensemble with three attached stars and securing international representation through Hyde Park International.
What Happens Next?
The next confirmed production milestone is the planned spring 2027 shoot. Hyde Park International will handle the film’s international rights following its acquisition ahead of the American Film Market.
Pegg is represented by Dawn Sedgwick Management. Osment is represented by John Griffin at Griffin Talent and Kristin Kong at MGMT. Duplass is represented by Layne Murrow and Jessica DiBiase at CAA, while Leder is represented by Mark Hartogsohn at Gersh.