Actress Millicent Simmonds will co-write and star in the upcoming crime thriller Grace, the inaugural feature film from Inevitable Studios. According to Variety, the project marks a shift toward commercial storytelling through a disability lens, with production scheduled to begin in early 2027. The film centers on a deaf teenager uncovering violent family secrets.
Who is behind the production of Grace?
Grace is the first feature film produced by Inevitable Studios, a banner established by the Inevitable Foundation’s co-founders, Richie Siegel and Marisa Torelli-Pedevska. The studio aims to produce commercial film and television projects that utilize what the founders describe as a “unique, unexpected and subversive” disability lens. By positioning itself in the commercial space, the studio seeks to move beyond traditional portrayals of disability in cinema, focusing instead on authentic narrative experiences, as noted by the production team.
Inevitable Studios is an expansion of the Inevitable Foundation, an organization specifically dedicated to breaking down systemic barriers for disabled creators in the entertainment industry.
How is the creative team approaching the film’s authenticity?
Writer-director duo Ari Costa and Eren Celeboglu have spent three years developing the script alongside Simmonds. According to reporting from Variety, the collaboration is intended to ensure the film captures a young deaf girl’s authentic experience. By involving a deaf lead in the writing process, the production aims to ground the thriller’s themes—which include the complexity of love, violence, and forgiveness—in a perspective that reflects lived experience rather than external observation.
What is the professional background of the creative leads?
The directors, Costa and Celeboglu, established their creative partnership after meeting on the set of the television series Community in 2011. Their trajectory highlights a shift from short-form content to major studio-backed features. Their previous work, such as the short films The Bride and The Internet Kills, garnered enough industry attention to lead to their feature debut, All Fun & Games, which was produced by the Russo Brothers’ AGBO banner and distributed by Vertical Entertainment and Hulu.
| Creator | Notable Background |
|---|---|
| Ari Costa | Producer on the Avengers and Extraction franchises. |
| Eren Celeboglu | Writer/Director for Scrubs and Cougar Town. |
How does this project fit into Simmonds’ career trajectory?
Millicent Simmonds has consistently balanced high-profile genre work with independent, character-driven projects. Since her 2017 debut in Todd Haynes’ Wonderstruck, she has become a mainstay in the horror and thriller genres, most notably as Regan in the A Quiet Place franchise. While she is currently in production for A Quiet Place Part III—slated for a 2027 release—Grace represents a move into a creative role behind the camera. Her recent work also includes the Broadway play Grey House and the film Pretty Lethal, which premiered at SXSW.
Follow industry trade publications like Variety or the Inevitable Foundation’s official updates to track casting news as the 2027 production start date approaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When does filming for Grace begin? Production is scheduled to start in early 2027.
- Who is directing Grace? Ari Costa and Eren Celeboglu are attached as the writer-director duo.
- Is this Millicent Simmonds’ first time writing a film? Yes, Grace marks her debut as a co-writer on a feature film.
Are you looking forward to seeing more authentic disability representation in the thriller genre? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or subscribe to our newsletter for more updates on upcoming film productions.
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