Abel Ferrara is about to start manufacturing on his newest characteristic, “American Nails,” a contemporary gangster story impressed by historical tragedy that stars Asia Argento and Willem Dafoe, Selection has realized.

In keeping with the producers, “American Nails” charts “the rise and fall of this contemporary Phaedra, in a story set within the gangster world of primal violence, energy and revenge. This no-holds-barred retelling of Euripides’ masterpiece pits Argento in opposition to the male-dominated remnants of energy and entitlement, within the shadow of the Roman Empire in modern Italy.”

Written by Ferrara and Rosella DeVenuto, pic is produced by Diana Phillips and Philipp Kreuzer for Rimsky Productions and Maze Footage. Manufacturing is about to start in Italy this summer time.

“American Nails” marks Dafoe’s eighth collaboration with Ferrara, together with the 2014 Venice biopic “Pasolini,” 2019 Cannes Movie Competition choice “Tommaso” and 2020 Berlinale entry “Siberia.” Coming off his acclaimed efficiency in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Oscar hopeful “Poor Issues,” Dafoe will once more workforce up with the Greek auteur and Emma Stone in “Sorts of Kindness,” and also will be showing in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “The Legend of Ochi” and “Nosferatu.”

Actress, screenwriter, director and musician Argento, who’s the daughter of filmmaker Dario Argento and actress/screenwriter Daria Nicolodi, has had roles in six of her father’s options and achieved mainstream success with appearances in “XXX” (2002), “Land of the Lifeless” (2005) and “Marie Antoinette” (2006). Upcoming tasks embody “Les reines du Drame,” “Interstate,” “Que staremo benissimo,” “A Mom for an Hour,” “Fatti Vedere” and “Stronger Than the Satan.” Earlier collaborations with Ferrara embody “Go Go Tales” and “Padre Pio.” 

Ferrara is presently in Berlin to rep “Flip within the Wound,” a documentary that mixes footage from the conflict in Ukraine and efficiency artwork by Patti Smith that premiered within the Berlinale Particular part.

Dafoe is represented at WME, Circle of Confusion and Narrative. Asia Argento is represented by Simone Santercole at Studio Di Nardo and Annabel Karouby at Plan-A.