‘White Lotus’ Star Murray Bartlett Joins Pamela Anderson, Ellen Burstyn in Kornél Mundruczó’s ‘Place to Be’ (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran “The White Lotus” star Murray Bartlett has returned to his native Australia to film “Place to Be,” the latest project from Cannes and Venice winner Kornél Mundruczó (“White God,” “Pieces of a Woman”), which is currently shooting.

In “Place to Be,” Bartlett plays Ron, Pamela Anderson’s hapless brother, with the siblings plotting to re-home their mother Brooke (Ellen Burstyn) and access their late artist father’s inheritance. “We’re attempting to shuffle our mother into a high-end aged care facility,” Bartlett tells Variety. “He kind of presents as prickly… But there’s a lot going on.

There’s a lot happened in this family dynamic, particularly with his father, who has passed away.” The drama, written by award-winning screenwriter Kata Wéber (known for “Pieces of a Woman” and “White God”), follows the unlikely friendship between no-nonsense Brooke and discombobulated divorcee Nelson, played by Taika Waititi, as they travel from Chicago to New York to return a lost racing pigeon.

This marks Bartlett’s second collaboration with Mundruczó and Wéber, having previously worked with them on “At the Sea,” which is currently in post. “On the final night [of filming ‘At the Sea’], he was like, ‘Oh, I’m making a film in your home country, in Australia, and there’s a role that’s right for you in it,'” Bartlett recalls. “We loved working together… it’s a lovely thing when you find people that you really connect with and you work well together.” Bartlett praises the Hungarian director’s unique approach: “He’s an amazing director in that he wants to be surprised… he kind of pushes you in directions that feel surprising as well sometimes when you’re working, which is a beautiful challenge.” The actor also expresses.