“A Quiet Place” and “Pretty Lethal” actress Millicent Simmonds is set to co-write and star in the crime thriller, “Grace,” which marks the first film from Inevitable Foundation‘s Inevitable Studios.
Inevitable Studios — the production banner led by Inevitable Foundation co-founders Richie Siegel & Marisa Torelli-Pedevska — is focused on crafting commercial film and television stories told through a “unique, unexpected and subversive” disability lens.
“Grace” comes from writer-director duo Ari Costa and Eren Celeboglu. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the story centers on a deaf teenager unraveling the violent secrets of her family’s buried past. For the past three years, Costa, Celeboglu and Simmonds developed the story and script to capture a young deaf girl’s authentic experience as the film examines themes including the complexity of love, violence and forgiveness.
The independent feature is currently undergoing additional casting and will begin shooting in early 2027.
Simmonds made her feature film debut opposite Julianne Moore in Todd Haynes’ acclaimed film “Wonderstruck” in 2017. But her breakout role came in the “Quiet Place” films, where she stars as Regan, a deaf girl whose family fights to survive in a world invaded by blind alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing. Simmonds is currently in production on the fourth installment of the blockbuster sci-fi/horror franchise, “A Quiet Place Part III,” due out in 2027. Her latest film, “Pretty Lethal,” premiered at SXSW earlier this year. In addition to her big-screen roles, she starred in the Broadway play “Grey House” alongside Tatiana Maslany and directed by Tony-winner Joe Mantello. Simmonds, a BAFTA Rising Star Award nominee and an alum of Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood Impact List, is represented by Untitled Entertainment.
After meeting on the set of “Community” in 2011, Costa and Celeboglu formed a creative partnership, which produced the award-winning and genre-bending short films “The Bride” and “The Internet Kills.” The shorts caught the attention of the Russo Brothers, and AGBO produced their feature debut, “All Fun & Games.” The film, starring Asa Butterfield and Natalia Dyer, was distributed by Vertical Entertainment and Hulu. Celeboglu began his career working for Bill Lawrence and wrote and directed episodes of “Scrubs” and “Cougar Town.” Costa has worked with the Russos since 2010, producing on the “Avengers” films, as well as the “Extraction” franchise.