UPDATED: Pamela Anderson has joined the cast of Place to Be, adding another big name to the Sydney-shot production. The Baywatch icon has been on a critical roll lately, recently earning SAG, Golden Globe, and Gotham Award nominations for her role in Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl.
In Place to Be, Anderson will play Molly, the daughter of Ellen Burstyn’s character, Brooke. Molly is struggling to find her footing after her second divorce, all while trying to navigate what’s best for her elderly mother—particularly when it comes to avoiding any talk of retirement homes.
Director Kornél Mundruczó says he’s “thrilled” with his growing cast. “I really love Pamela – she’s such a versatile actress and her most recent performance in The Last Showgirl was unbelievable,” he said to Deadline, the outlet that broke the news of Anderson’s casting. “She showed such bravery and I’m tremendously excited to work with her.” Anderson joins Burstyn’s no-nonsense Brooke and Taika Waititi’s discombobulated divorcee Nelson as they embark on a cross-country journey from Chicago to New York—pigeon in tow.
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Original News Story Below:
Oscar winners Ellen Burstyn and Taika Waititi are teaming up for Place to Be, the latest feature from Hungarian filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó (Pieces of a Woman). Filming is set to begin this month at Disney Studios Australia in Sydney, with backing from Screen NSW’s Made in NSW fund.
Written by Mundruczó’s longtime collaborator Kata Wéber, Place to Be centres on an unlikely friendship between an elderly woman, played by Burstyn, and a middle-aged man, played by Waititi. The two set out on a journey from Chicago to New York to return a lost racing pigeon to its home—and in true road movie fashion, it’s less about the destination.
Burstyn—92 years old and still proving age is just a number—is heading back to Australia for the shoot. “It still surprises and delights me to be working at my age,” she said. “And I am thrilled to be going on this ‘road trip’ with Taika and Kornél. To return to beautiful Australia is a special treat indeed.”
Waititi, best known for his filmmaking (Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit) and comedic acting turns (Our Flag Means Death, What We Do in the Shadows), says he is stepping into new territory. “This is unlike any role I’ve ever done,” he said. “And I’ve always adored Ellen’s work.”
He also shared why the story hit close to home. “Growing up in New Zealand, it was just me and my mum—this tiny dynamic duo against the world. When this role came along, I thought, ‘Oh my god, it’s like me and mum all over again, except we’ve both aged several decades overnight and Ellen gets to be the Thelma to my Louise.’ Though I’m still not entirely sure which one of us drives off the cliff in this scenario.”
Mundruczó—whose previous work includes the 2014 canine-featuring drama White God and the 2020 Vanessa Kirby-led, Netflix-released Pieces of a Woman (which also starred Burstyn)—described the film as a meditation on identity and human connection. “Place to Be is about the absurdity of how, over time, a person becomes invisible in their own life,” he said. “But losing visibility does not necessarily mean losing oneself. In fact, it can lead us and those who meet us to a deeper understanding.”
“I had every desire to direct the legendary Ellen Burstyn in a leading role,” Mundruczó added, talking about reuniting with the Oscar winner, “not only because I admire her amazing talent, but also because the time has finally come to celebrate older women on screen. With the immensely talented Taika Waititi, I hope I have found the perfect accomplice for this exciting journey.”
The film is produced by Jomon Thomas (Monkey Man, Hotel Mumbai), Megan Wynn (Together, Poker Face), and Alexander Rodnyansky (Loveless, Beanpole). WME Independent is handling international sales.
No release date has been announced for Place to Be.
Deadline first broke the news.
