Lily Collins, Charlie McDowell and Alex Orlovsky have partnered to launch Case Study Films, a production company that will look to tell compelling and outside-of-the-box stories through a commercial eye in both film and television.
Case Study will develop material internally and with outside filmmakers and talent, discovering, supporting and giving voice to the next generation of storytellers from all walks of life, as it generates projects for its principals.
The production banner has film financing capabilities through a strategic partnership with High Frequency Entertainment, which will afford it flexibility in deciding whether to produce and finance a project entirely in-house, or to find appropriate streamer or studio partners for it, depending on its scale.
Among the projects in development at Case Study is the Hulu limited series Razzlekhan: The Infamous Crocodile of Wall Street, co-produced by Scoop Wasserstein from New York magazine, which has Collins set to star, with McDowell directing.
Also in the works at the company is The Accomplice, a limited series based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Lisa Lutz, which has been set up at Amazon. Olivia Milch will adapt the book, with Collins attached to star and Dylan Clark Productions co-producing.
On the television side, Case Study just completed a deal with Legendary Entertainment to develop and produce television series on spec. Its first feature film production, Windfall, sold for eight figures to Netflix, continuing McDowell’s successful model of a fresh, unexpected take on genre with a high level of cast and controlled production budget. The McDowell-directed crime thriller, starring Collins, Jesse Plemons and Jason Segel, debuted on the streamer in March.
“Case Study Films is about collaboration and storytelling,” said Collins. “We approach our relationships from all aspects of the filmmaking process—fostering an idea from conception to release—alongside both established talent and new, exciting voices. Our hope is that this grows into a very special one stop shop for creatives.”
“We started Case Study Films because we wanted to provide a place for artists to explore and take as much creative ownership as possible,” stated McDowell. “Our hope is to allow for the same freedom and support that I feel fortunate to have had in the making of my films.”
“Charlie and Lily are the best partners a producer could ask for – their intuitive grasp of how projects are put together and deep talent relationships constantly amaze me,” added Orlovsky. “Together we look forward to building Case Study into a top destination for artist-driven content.”
Collins is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actress and producer who produces and stars in Emily in Paris — the hit Netflix series created by Darren Star, which returns for its third season on December 21. Other recent credits for Collins on the acting side include David Fincher’s Mank, Joe Berlinger’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile and Bong Joon Ho’s Okja.
Collins’ husband McDowell is an acclaimed writer, director and producer known for helming such notable indies as The One I Love, The Discovery and Windfall. He’s also previously directed on series including Dispatches from Elsewhere, Tales from the Loop, On Becoming a God in Central Florida, Legion, Dear White People and Silicon Valley.
Orlovsky is an Independent Spirit Award-nominated and Gotham Award-winning producer who has helped launch and further the careers of Derek Cianfrance, Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden, Eliza Hittman and McDowell, among others. Notable credits include Windfall, Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Discovery, Crystal Moselle’s doc The Wolfpack, Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines, Azazel Jacobs’ Momma’s Man and Terri and the Fleck-directed Ryan Gosling starrer, Half Nelson.
Collins is represented by CAA, LBI Entertainment, Definition Entertainment and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern; McDowell by CAA, LBI Entertainment, Black Bear Management and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.