“The opioid crisis, war, post-traumatic stress. Who among us hasn’t been touched by these things right now? These are things that have touched our families and our personal lives,” explains “Cherry” co-writer Jessica Goldberg about the universal themes explored in “Cherry.” Co-writer Angela Russo-Otstot agrees, noting that the duo focused on the emotional elements of the original story as a way to connect the film’s themes within the overall narrative. “Our compass was really about mining empathy, which is quite universal,” she explains.
We talked with Goldberg and Russo-Otstot as part of Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&A event with key 2021 guild and Oscar contenders. Watch our interview above.
SEE ‘Cherry’ star Tom Holland on playing a heroin addict: ‘I felt a level of responsibility’
“Cherry,” directed by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, was adapted by Russo-Otstot and Goldberg from Nico Walker‘s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. It follows a young former army medic (Tom Holland) suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, who becomes a serial bank robber after an addiction to drugs puts him in debt. “Cherry” is set to debut in theaters on February 26 and on Apple TV+ for March 12.
“‘Cherry,’ while it’s a truly remarkable book, is more of a collection of experiences that don’t necessarily present a dramatic propulsion. The character is engaged in an existential exercise,” reflects Russo-Otstot about the monumental task of adapting the sprawling novel. From her perspective, in order to give the film a narrative arc suitable for film, the writer reveals that they “decided to focus on the love story as a through-line that would serve as a life preserver that could keep Cherry afloat through all of these experiences,” she says. “He’s a sensitive soul,” Goldberg concurs.
Russo-Otstot’s career has included writing for ABC sci-fi series “V,” TNT drama series “Trust Me,” and FX’s Emmy-winning drama “The Shield.” Goldberg was originally a playwright, with her off-Broadway play “Refuge” having won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. She later went on to adapt and direct it as a film and has also written for TV projects such as Netflix’s “Away,” Hulu’s “The Path” and NBC drama series “Parenthood.”
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s newsletter with experts’ latest predictions
