| My Dead Friend Zoe | |
| Director: | Kyle Hausmann-Stokes |
| Screenplay: | Kyle Hausmann-Stokes A. J. Bermudez |
| Starring: | Sonequa Martin-Green Natalie Morales Ed Harris Morgan Freeman Gloria Reuben Utkarsh Ambudkar |
| Distributor: | Briarcliff Entertainment[1] |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
My Dead Friend Zoe is a 2024 American war comedy-drama film written by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes and A. J. Bermudez, directed by Hausmann-Stokes and starring Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, Gloria Reuben and Utkarsh Ambudkar. It is based on Hausmann-Stokes's short film Merit x Zoe. It is also Hausmann-Stokes's feature directorial debut.[2] [3] It premiered at South by Southwest on March 9, 2024, where it won the Audience Award, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on February 28, 2025 by Briarcliff Entertainment.[4]
Merit must try to be socially present while also being with the ghost of her dead best friend.
According to Variety, it's the first film financed with green energy tax credits under an innovative model created by Mike Field and Ray Maiello at Radiant Media Studios (Maiello produced the film).[6] Radiant Media Studios brought Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce to the project as executive producer (Kelce's first production credit). https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GODSVcPyAiE [7] Legion M co-financed under their crowdfunding model.
In May 2023, it was announced that Harris, Martin-Green, and Morales were cast in the film.[2] In June 2023, it was announced that Freeman, Reuben, and Ambudkar were cast in the film.[3] Filming occurred in Portland, Oregon, Forest Grove, Oregon and Molalla, Oregon in 2023.[8]
In September 2023, it was announced that filming wrapped.[9]
Valerie Complex of Deadline Hollywood called the film "a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit."[10] Matt Donato of Collider praised Martin-Green's performance,[11] while Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com also commended Harris, describing him as "one of our best living actors" in the supporting cast.[12]