Angelina Jolie has stepped into one of her darkest roles yet. Production has officially kicked off on Sunny, a tense, emotionally charged thriller that brings the actress back into high-intensity territory — this time as a mother navigating the brutal underworld to protect her sons.
A Classic Mafia Vibe With a Modern, Female-Driven Edge
Directed by Eva Sørhaug, the film pays homage to old-school mob dramas while shifting the spotlight to a woman fighting her way out of an abusive criminal empire. Jolie plays a gangster desperate to save her children from a violent drug kingpin, forcing her into a race against time when events spiral into life-or-death territory.
The story comes from writer William Day Frank, who developed the concept with Sørhaug before penning the screenplay. The project is being backed by Gramercy Park Media, A Higher Standard, and Nickel City Pictures.
First Reactions From the Team: Jolie as a “Tour-de-Force”
Producers are already hyping Jolie’s transformation. Nickel City Pictures’ Mark Fasano praised the actress for creating a performance that he believes will surprise audiences, telling Deadline that the world Eva and Jolie built is “violent, grounded in survival, and driven by a mother who will do anything to protect her two boys.”
Gramercy Park Media’s Nathan Klingher echoed the sentiment, saying Jolie has shaped the role in a way only she could. Strong, character-led thrillers of this scale are rare, he added, and watching the level of detail she and Sørhaug bring to set has been “impressive.”
Behind the Camera: A Strong Creative Lineup
Jolie is not just starring — she also serves as a producer alongside Klingher, Fasano, and A Higher Standard’s Jeffrey Greenstein. The project also involves Choice Films, with A Higher Standard overseeing global sales and WME Independent handling domestic representation.
Sørhaug, known for her grounded and psychological style, brings a solid resume to the film. The Norwegian filmmaker directed the tense drama 90 Minutes, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and has helmed notable TV episodes across Tokyo Vice, Yellowjackets, and AMC’s Talamasca: The Secret Order.
Jolie’s Busy Lineup Continues to Grow
Fresh off Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations for her portrayal of Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’s Maria, Jolie remains in high demand. She has multiple releases lined up, including Couture, Alice Winocour’s fashion-world drama that debuted at TIFF, the Marc Forster-directed comedy Anxious People, and the spy thriller The Initiative, which reunites her with Mr. & Mrs. Smith filmmaker Doug Liman.
Final Words
With a raw emotional core and the kind of grit that defined classic mob cinema, Sunny is shaping up to be one of Jolie’s most intense on-screen transformations in years. As filming moves forward, the combination of Jolie’s star power and Sørhaug’s sharp direction positions the film as a standout thriller to watch in the coming months.
