Big-name Hollywood star Willem Dafoe is officially slated to make his next on-screen appearance in Gonzo Girl alongside Camila Morrone and Patricia Arquette, who will also be making her directorial debut in the film. Gonzo Girl, based on a 1992 novel, will be produced by Rh Negative Entertainment and Catch & Release Films.
Directed by Patricia Arquette, the upcoming film will be an adaptation of Gonzo Girl by Cheryl Della Pietra, first published in 1992. The novel follows the life of Alley Russo, a recent college graduate desperately struggling to get a leg up in the combative world of New York journalism. When eccentric “gonzo journalist” Walker Reade announces he’s looking for a new assistant, Alley jumps at the opportunity, joining Reade in the secluded Colorado compound where he lives and works – after proving herself by surviving a harrowing trial period, Alley is awarded the job of her dreams, but the longer she stays around Reade, the more it becomes apparent to her – and to the audience – that something isn’t right with Walker Reade: the literary icon is lost in “[a] vampiric schedule, Herculean substance abuse, mounting debt, and casual gunplay,” according to the official book synopsis, leaving Alley “at the mercy of a drug-addicted literary icon who may never produce another novel.”
The film adaptation of Gonzo Girl will star Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man: No Way Home) as Walker Reade himself, opposite Camile Morrone (Death Wish) as Alley Russo. Along with serving as the film’s director, Patricia Arquette will reportedly also star as Claudia, Reade’s long-time minder and manager, according to Deadline.
Who Are the Newest Additions to ‘Gonzo Girl’?
Willem Dafoe is likely one of the most well-known names in Hollywood today. He has starred in over one hundred different films and TV shows, including the original Tobey Maguire Spider-Man series as Green Goblin, a role he recently reprised for Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Some of Dafoe’s other noteworthy appearances include Vulko in Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) and Aquaman (2018), along with portraying Vincent van Gogh in At Eternity’s Gate (2018).
Patricia Arquette is another Hollywood superstar, with 67 film and TV appearances under her belt, ranging from Harmony Cobel Apple’s Severance (2022) to Avery Ryan in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2014) and its spinoff CSI: Cyber (2015). Camila Morrone is more of a newcomer to the Hollywood scene, comparatively, but some of her previous film credits include appearing as Mickey Peck in Mickey and the Bear (2019), Jordan Kersey in Death Wish (2018), and Jessie in Never Goin’ Back (2018)
Gonzo Girl starring Willem Dafoe, Camila Morrone, and Patricia Arquette, will be produced by Tom Heller for Rh Negative Productions, Frank Hall Green for Catch & Release Films, and Cameron O’Reilly for Bayard Productions. Further information on the film, including details on the cast, production schedule, or intended release date, has not been released.
