Motherless Brooklyn (film)

Motherless Brooklyn is an upcoming crime drama film written and directed by Edward Norton based on the novel of the same name by Jonathan Lethem. Norton will also star in the film, along with Willem Dafoe, Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Leslie Mann, Bobby Cannavale, Fisher Stevens, and Cherry Jones.

Premise
A private investigator with Tourette syndrome works to solve the mystery of his mentor's murder in 1950s New York.

Cast

 * Edward Norton as Lionel Essrog
 * Willem Dafoe as Paul Randolph
 * Bruce Willis as Frank Minna, Lionel’s mentor and friend
 * Gugu Mbatha-Raw
 * Alec Baldwin
 * Leslie Mann as Julia Minna, Frank’s wife
 * Bobby Cannavale as Tony Vermonte
 * Cherry Jones
 * Ethan Suplee as Gilbert Coney
 * Josh Pais as William Lieberman
 * Fisher Stevens
 * Michael K. Williams
 * Robert Wisdom
 * Dallas Roberts as Danny Fantl
 * Candace M. Smith

Production
Norton had been developing the film since the early 2000s, though he was uncertain as to whether he would direct. In February 2014, the project was set, with Norton directing. Brett Ratner was initially set as a producer through his company RatPac Entertainment.

Production commenced in February 2018 in New York City, with Norton, Willem Dafoe, Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Alec Baldwin, among others, set to star. Bobby Cannavale and Dallas Roberts joined the cast a few weeks later. On March 22, a fire broke out on one of the film's sets. The resulting blaze killed FDNY Firefighter (posthumously promoted to Lieutenant) Michael R. Davidson of Engine 69. Production was temporarily suspended the next day, and was resumed a week later. In December 2018, it was suggested that the fire was due to the film company illegally tampering with the electrical system and not because of a boiler as previously suggested.

Additional filming took place in December 2018 in Troy, New York.

Additional filming began on April 29, 2019 in Griffin, Georgia.

Release
The film is slated for release on November 1, 2019.