Halle Bailey Joins Cast For Jesse Eisenberg’s New Film, ‘A Real Pain’ At A24

Jesse Eisenberg is back with a new feature following the success of A Real Pain, and A24 is once again on board. Production has officially started on the untitled film, which reunites Eisenberg with his A Real Pain team—including producers Emma Stone, Dave McCary, and Ali Herting of Fruit Tree, alongside Topic Studios as executive producers.

The cast features a mix of fresh and legendary talent: Halle Bailey, Havana Rose Liu, and Bernadette Peters join Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, with Bonnie Milligan, Colton Ryan, Lilli Cooper, and Maulik Pancholy also on board.

The story centers on a shy woman who finds herself cast in a local theater musical and spirals as she immerses herself deeply in the role. Eisenberg not only wrote the script but also composed original music and lyrics for the film’s musical numbers, collaborating with La La Land’s Steven Gizicki and In the Heights producer Bill Sherman.

This marks Eisenberg’s second collaboration with A24, following When You Finish Saving the World. Fruit Tree and Topic Studios continue their strong relationship with the studio, which is also producing David Lowery’s upcoming film Mother Mary, starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel.

The project’s deal was negotiated by CAA Media Finance, WME Independent, and Johnson Shapiro.