Todd Solondz’s unique brand of filmmaking is taking a leaf out of the studio book. Yep, he’s making a sequel folks. Well, he’s actually making a quasi-sequel that’s partially inspired by his breakout hit, Welcome To The Dollhouse. The follow-up, entitled Weiner-Dog, will head into production some twenty years after the first, which may go some way to explaining why certain roles have been re-cast with adult actors.
According to THR, the script “tells several stories featuring people who find their life inspired or changed by one particular dachshund, who seems to be spreading comfort and joy.” One of those people will be Dawn Weiner, a relentlessly teased youngster played by Heather Matarazzo in the 1995 flick. Bridging the two decade gap to play the older Weiner (alright, stifle the chuckles!) is indie queen Greta Gerwig, who is currently in negotiations. While she’s not signed on officially as yet, she may be joining forces with fellow independent stalwart, Julie Delpy, whose name has also been linked to an undisclosed starring role.
Both actresses have made their names via a slew of smaller indie pics over the years, and tend to lean towards unorthodox approaches to drama. It’ll be fun to see the pair working with Solondz, who is unafraid to take his actors into some seemingly dark areas of the human psyche.
Producing and financing on Weiner-Dog will be handled by Megan Ellison and her production outfit, Annapurna Pictures. They’ll be working in alliance with Christine Vachon and Killer Films, who also participated on the original. That’s as much as we know right now on the project, but we’ll keep you posted when any casting announcements are verified.
