Vera Farmiga hasn’t been seen on screen since her Oscar-nominated turn in Up in the Air. But she’s been working steadily (not to mention finding time to give birth to her second child) and has just signed on to indie comedy **Goats alongside David Duchovny, Keri Russell, Will Arnett and Minnie Driver.
Goats, based on Mark Jude Poirier’s novel (the writer has penned the adaptation himself) finds teenager Ellis (Graham Phillips) arriving at the school where his dad (Ty Burrell) was a well-regarded student.
Yet the biggest influence in Ellis’ life is not his biological father, but the mysterious Goat Man (Duchovny), who has known the lad for years. After Ellis returns home from his first term, he realises that his relationship with the goat-raising figure has changed forever.
Farmiga has signed on to play Ellis’ mother, while Arnett will be her boyfriend and Driver her best mate. Russell, meanwhile, will be his father’s new wife.
Acting coach Christopher Neil is taking his first shot at directing, and has been aiming to get this one going for a while now. Back last January, he had Duchovny, Robin Wright, Josh Brolin, Jason Schwartzman and Robert Schwartzman (it might not surprise you to learn that Neil’s father is Eleanor Coppola’s brother, which means he has a close link to the Coppola family) lined up to star, but now only Duchovny remains of that original group.
All being well, he should kick off filming next month.