Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley to Reunite for Benh Zeitlin’s ‘Hold On to Your Angels’
In a move that has already generated significant buzz within the industry, newly-crowned Oscar winner Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are set to reunite. The duo, who previously starred together in Hamnet, will lead the upcoming outlaw romance Hold On to Your Angels, written and directed by Oscar nominee Benh Zeitlin.
The project is positioned as a high-profile entry for the Cannes market, blending raw emotion with a stark, atmospheric setting. With production scheduled to begin in February, the film marks a return to the bayou for Zeitlin, who previously garnered acclaim for Beasts of the Southern Wild.
An ‘Impossible’ Love Story in the Bayou
Set on the crumbling edge of South Louisiana, Hold On to Your Angels is described as an “impossible love story” that explores the intersection of romance and desperation. The narrative follows a “hell-bound outlaw,” played by Paul Mescal and a “ferocious shepherd of lost souls,” portrayed by Jessie Buckley.
The two characters fall into a “catastrophic love” as their surrounding paradise in the bayou begins to drag them under. Director Benh Zeitlin has shared his long-standing passion for the story, noting that he has dreamed of telling it since a hero named Pam Harper auditioned for Beasts of the Southern Wild seventeen years ago.
“Hold On To Your Angels is the most impossible love story I’ve ever witnessed — an outlaw romance for the end of America, set on the crumbling edge of South Louisiana.”
— Benh Zeitlin
Production and Industry Backing
The film boasts a heavy-hitting production team. Plan B, the production company known for Moonlight and F1, will produce the film alongside Alex Coco under his Rapt Film banner.
On the business side, the project is already attracting international interest. The Veterans is managing international sales, while domestic distribution rights are being represented by CAA Media Finance.
Key Takeaways: ‘Hold On to Your Angels’
- Lead Cast: Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal (reuniting after Hamnet).
- Director/Writer: Oscar nominee Benh Zeitlin.
- Setting: The bayou of South Louisiana.
- Production Start: February.
- Production Partners: Plan B and Rapt Film.
The Power of the Buckley-Mescal Partnership
The pairing of Buckley and Mescal is more than just a casting choice. it’s a strategic alignment of two of the most critically acclaimed actors of their generation. Following Buckley’s recent Oscar win and Mescal’s consistent trajectory toward A-list status, their chemistry—already proven in Hamnet—is expected to be the emotional anchor of Zeitlin’s vision.
As the industry keeps a close eye on the upcoming Cannes market, Hold On to Your Angels stands out as a project that promises to mix grit with cinematic poetry, further cementing Zeitlin’s reputation for capturing the haunting beauty of the American South.