Searchlight Taps "Hawkeye" Director and "SNL" Alum Rhys Thomas to Helm New Film, "Anomaly"

A new film from Searchlight Pictures has found their director in SNL alum and director of the Disney+ series, Hawkeye, Rhys Thomas. 

What’s Happening: 

• Searchlight Pictures has reportedly tapped Rhys Thomas to direct their new film, Anomaly. 
• Thomas is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, along with the mockumentary series, Documentary Now!, which he co-created alongside Seth Meyers, Bill Hader, and Fred Armisen. The series earned Thomas three Emmy noms during the show’s run. 
• Additionally, Thomas and Andrew Nunnelly are adapting an original screenplay for the project by Michael Noonan.
• Most of the project is currently under wraps, including a log line for the new film, according to the report from Variety. 
• Thomas is no stranger to various branches of the Disney company however, as he directed and served as an EP on the Marvel series, Hawkeye, for Disney+. 
• Outside of that, Thomas has also directed and served as an EP of the upcoming NBC/Peacock series, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, starring Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe. 
• Along with the aforementioned Emmy noms, Thomas also won the award for producing SNL’s 40th anniversary special. 
• Thomas has also been a frequent collaborator with John Mulaney, directing his musical comedy special, John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch, as well as his Emmy-nominated stand-up special, The Comeback Kid. 
• Nunnelly, who is co-writing the script for Anomaly, is also currently writing a feature for Apple. This will mark his second collab with Thomas, after writing the script for Sleep Train. Thomas is set to direct that comedy thriller. 
• There is currently no production or release timeline announced for Anomaly.
  

Searchlight Status: 

• While not much is known about Anomaly at this time, we do know that Searchlight Pictures has a very specific vibe that helps their titles stand out in the crowded world of film. 
• Many know the brand for their daring and off-center films, but also their unique storytelling with the directors driving their story and letting their strong and distinctive voices shine. 
• While many know their award winning dramas, like Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years a Slave, Birdman, The Shape of Water, Poor Things, Nomadland, and others, they have a number of award-winning comedies under their belt as well. 
• These include the recent hit, The Roses, as well as Little Miss Sunshine, Jojo Rabbit, Birdman, Downhill, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Banshees of Inisherin, Juno, and a personal favorite of this author, The Way Way Back. 
• With the history of both Rhys Thomas and Andrew Nunnelly, it can be safe to assume that Anamoly will, in fact, be a comedy - or at the very least one of those titles that exemplify what Searchlight does best, landing it in a comfortable middle ground of both drama and comedy.