Wonderwell
Directed by	Vlad Marsavin
Written by	William Brookfield
Based on	"Drainhole Dreaming" by William Brookfield
Produced by	Fred Roos Alexander Roos Vlad Marsavin Robert Bernacchi Orian Williams Lee Rudnicki
Starring	Carrie Fisher Rita Ora Kiera Milward Nell Tiger Free Sebastian Croft Vincent Spano Megan Dodds Lloyd Owen Niccolo Besio
Cinematography	Kenji Katori
Music by	William Ross Angelo Badalamenti
Distributed by	Vertical Entertainment (USA, Great Britain, Ireland and Canada) Epic Pictures Group (worldwide)
Release date	June 23, 2023 (2023-06-23)
Running time	96 min
Countries	United States Italy
Language	English

Wonderwell is an Italian-American fantasy movie directed by Vlad Marsavin, produced by Fred Roos, and based on the short story Drainhole Dreaming by William Brookfield. The movie stars Carrie Fisher(in her final role before her death in 2016) Rita Ora, Kiera Milward, and Nell Tiger Free.

Synopsis

At 12 years old, Violet (Kiera Milward) lives in Italy with her parents (Lloyd Owen and Megan Dodds), and her beautiful older sister Savannah (Nell Tiger Free). When Savannah is selected to be the face of world- renowned designer Yana’s (Rita Ora) fashion label, the family travels to an enchanting medieval village for her first photo shoot. Neglected and bored, Violet wanders from the ancient Tuscan town into a nearby forest where she meets the enigmatic Hazel (Carrie Fisher), who may be the fabled witch of the woods Violet was warned about by Yana’s beleaguered stepson, Daniele (Sebastian Croft). Guided by Hazel to a mysterious portal, Violet is offered a glimpse of what her future might hold, but like the transition from childhood to womanhood, it may be a journey of no return.

Starring

• Carrie Fisher as Hazel
• Rita Ora as Yana
• Kiera Milward as Violet
• Nell Tiger Free as Savannah
• Sebastian Croft as Daniele
• Vincent Spano as Franco
• Megan Dodds as Chlo
• Lloyd Owen as Adam
• Niccolo Besio as Enrico

Production

Principal photography took place in Tuscany and in Cinecittà in Rome, Italy between October 2016 and February 2017. Veteran producer Fred Roos, known for his lifelong collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola, brought Fisher and Ora, and a number of the key creative team to the project. Carrie Fisher, who passed away in late 2016,^[1][2] just six weeks after wrapping her scenes, leads the cast alongside British singer and actress Rita Ora,^[3] and newcomer Kiera Milward.^[4]

The film’s music score was created by William Ross and it was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. The late Angelo Badalamenti, known for his collaborations with David Lynch on projects including Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive, composed the film's "Violet’s Theme". Due to interruptions with film funding, post-production was extended until early 2020, and then, due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, all work on the almost finished film was suspended for several months.

Release

On June 14, 2023, Deadline Hollywood published an announcement of the movie's long-awaited release, and on June 16, 2023 it published the official theatrical poster and the first official trailer of the film. The picture had a limited theatrical release in the U.S. through Vertical Entertainment  and also appeared on major online platforms in the USA, UK, Canada, and Ireland on June 23, 2023.

External videos
Official movie trailer
WONDERWELL Trailer (2023)

Reception

The release of the last Carrie Fisher movie was welcomed with enthusiasm by her fans and by fans of the fantasy genre.^[5]

Mike Haberfelner called Wonderwell "a visually stunning film, full of impressive set designs", "a mix of coming-of-age story, dark fairy tale and thriller, in which well fleshed-out characters are embodied by a relatable ensemble cast, making this a pretty cool and pretty unusual ride."^[6]

References

External links

• Wonderwell at IMDb