Director Adam Mason's pandemic thriller SONGBIRD went into production in Los Angeles last week, becoming the first feature to film in L.A. during the continuing real life pandemic. The names of several cast members have been revealed in previous announcements – those cast members being Demi Moore, Craig Robinson, Paul Walter Hauser, Peter Stormare, Bradley Whitford, and Jenna Ortega – but now that cameras have been rolling for a while the names of the leads have finally been revealed.
SONGBIRD stars KJ Apa of Riverdale and Sofia Carson of the Descendants franchise.
Mason wrote the screenplay with Simon Boyes. Described as "a taut thriller that's a love story at its heart", the story is set
two years into the future, as lockdown has been re-implemented after a more serious virus continues to mutate. In a feeble attempt to keep the sickness contained, the city has been bisected into haves and have nots.
The film centers around an essential worker who has a rare immunity, a delivery man who delivers goods and hope throughout the city. Like the vast majority of the population, his girlfriend is locked within her home, and the couple have no ability to physically be together. To be with the one he loves, our hero must overcome martial law, murderous vigilantes and a powerful, well connected family, helmed by a matriarch who will stop at nothing to protect her family and maintain her way of life.
SONGBIRD is a story about the resilience of the human spirit and the idea that hope is worth fighting for.
Apa's character is "a motorbike courier named Nico, who has rare immunity", and Carson's character is an artist named Sara.
Moore is playing the matriarch mentioned in the synopsis.
SONGBIRD is being produced by Invisible Narratives, in partnership with Catchlight Studios and Michael Bay. The production will utilize strict social distancing practices, along with "innovative techniques", to make sure there isn't a virus outbreak among the cast and crew. We previously heard that "there will never be people in room together, and social distancing rules will be carefully followed. Scenes will be shot after crew has come in to prep the shots, and there won't be any scenes where actors engage face to face."