First Look At Dan Levy’s New Netflix Film, Good Grief

12 months ago

A peek at what’s to come in 2024

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First Look At Dan Levy’s New Netflix Film, Good Grief

Schitt’s Creek sensation Dan Levy has been working hard directing, writing, producing and starring in a brand new film – and Netflix has just released the trailer. Here are all of the details.

Good Grief: First Look At Dan Levy’s New Netflix Film

Jamael Westman as Terrance, Himesh Patel as Thomas, Ruth Negga as Sophie and Daniel Levy (writer/director/producer) stars as Marc and in Good Grief

First hinted at in September 2021, Dan Levy’s debut feature film Good Grief has been in the works for a few years now, following a deal struck between Netflix and Levy in the light of Schitt’s Creek’s massive success. The series, co-created by Levy, swept the Emmys and garnered global acclaim after Netflix opened it up to new audiences. Good Grief is the first original scripted piece of content Levy has written for the platform – and we expect it to be the first of many projects with the streaming giant.

On the film’s first announcement in September 2021, Levy said: ‘Netflix offered Schitt’s Creek a second home at just the right time and opened the doors to a whole new audience for us. Watching the show thrive there has only enhanced my excitement about continuing to tell specific, meaningful stories with them in both TV and feature film. A full circle moment.’

Meanwhile, Netflix’s head of global film Scott Stuber said: ‘Dan Levy is an incredible all-around creative talent, who thoughtfully approaches every story with a meaningful perspective. His work on Schitt’s Creek charmed audiences around the world and we’re thrilled to partner and create new films and shows with Dan.’

Daniel Levy (writer/director/producer) stars as Marc, Ruth Negga as Sophie and Himesh Patel as Thomas in Good Grief

What Is Good Grief About?

Good Grief centres on Marc (Levy), a former painter and current children’s book author struggling with grief after the death of his mother, and uncomfortable living in the shadow of his larger-than-life, best-selling author husband, Oliver (Luke Evans). But when Oliver unexpectedly dies, Marc’s world shatters. Seeking new coping mechanisms, Marc travels to Paris with his two friends Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel). As they soul search, each discovers some hard truths they need to face.

The flick was originally described as a rom-com, but Levy has since told Entertainment Weekly that is it ‘absolutely not’ that. ‘In the early days when that idea was coming to fruition, it was originally conceived potentially as a romantic comedy, and then whatever press got out set what is now a very strange description of the movie,’ he told EW in December 2023. ‘I see the movie as a drama or a dramedy.’

Viewers can expect some heavy depictions of grief, inspired by Levy’s own experiences with loss during the pandemic. He told EW: ‘I lost my grandmother toward the tail end of the pandemic, and I was in a very strange headspace in terms of feeling the weight and the profound sense of tragedy of what the COVID pandemic had done for all of us, while at the same time trying to honour the passing of someone who meant so much to me. It was hard for me to feel the specificity of loss when all I was feeling was grief for so long. It was that conversation that really expedited the concept of the movie.’