Setting their market debut at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, Penguin Pictures and Fairpoint Films revealed that Lea Thompson (Back to the Future), Kevin Pollak (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Goodrich with Michael Keaton, Girl in the Pool), Leanne Melissa Bishop (The Weight of Perfection, Regression) and Aaron Ashmore (Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia, Sky Med and the upcoming A Case for the Winemaker) will star in their newest feature film, the family drama titled ‘What If’.
Written by Leanne Melissa Bishop, ‘What If’ is directed by critically acclaimed director and TIFF veteran Lindsay MacKay (The Swearing Jar, Wet Bum).
What if you always felt stuck in your life, like something didn’t make sense?
What if your whole life you were fighting to fit into the confines of your family?
What if you were born into the wrong family?
And, what is family anyway?
‘What If’ is a quirky family drama about a woman who accidentally discovers in her 40s that she is a by-product of a hospital birth mix-up, sending her on a journey to figure out what family really means. Along the way she reconnects with an old high school friend who has returned to town to face a truth he’s been hiding. Together, they share in their personal journeys and find out who they really are.
Marley (Bishop), new to her 40s, struggles with a mid-life crisis as she leaves her long-term fiancé at the altar. Trying to pick up the pieces, she discovers a dark secret – she is a hospital birth mix-up, she grew up in the wrong family. Suddenly, everything makes sense. At the same time, Marley comes face-to-face with the most significant questions that shake her to the core and need answering.
Although her mother (Thompson) and father (Pollak) mean well, their conservative, orderly life simply doesn’t ‘fit’ Marley and never has. Her new mission becomes finding her real family. As her journey begins, she reconnects with Devan (Ashmore), an old high school friend, and the two embark on an eye-opening road trip full of surprises and discoveries. As they search for Marley’s birth parents, they each begin to learn the truth about themselves and their families, opening them up to lives they would have never imagined possible otherwise.
What If’ is produced by Michael P. Mason (Place Of Bones, A Bug And A Bag Of Weed), Leanne Melissa Bishop (In Search Of, Is You Is), and Kyle Bornais (The Swearing Jar, From the Vine) of Farpoint Films. Executive producers include Peter Wetherell.
“We are beyond excited about the talented cast we’ve assembled. ‘What If’ is filled with complex, layered characters, and this cast’s combined talent and experience are a perfect fit to breathe life into this heartfelt story.” said Mason. “These days audiences are yearning for authenticity in their content, there’s a real desire globally for films that tell these kinds of universal human stories. Lindsay has such a great instinct with character, we can’t wait to see how she works with this incredible cast to bring the script to life.”
“I am thrilled to be working with such an exceptional cast on this film that is so near and dear to me. Each talent brings their own unique voice, which will allow all of these characters to come to life. For me, family is very important, and family means different things to many people. Often in life, we find ourselves searching for a sense of belonging, wanting to be accepted. I hope this film helps people to understand, accept, and love themselves, for exactly who they are. I’m excited to see the magic everyone brings to the big screen.” said Bishop.
“’What If’ is a special film that gives a voice to the choices we make every day,” said producer Kyle Bornais of Farpoint Films. “We might not realize it, but it’s these daily decisions – not the outcome – that bond us together. ‘What If’ is a film about the connection that makes us human that will resonate with audiences everywhere. I am excited to be working from Leanne Melissa Bishop’s thought-provoking script, with the amazing Lindsay MacKay as director, and a producing team that includes Michael P. Mason, Tony Wosk and Peter Wetherell.”