Lea Thompson, Kevin Pollak, Aaron Ashmore to Lead Cast of ‘What If’

Lea Thompson (“Back to the Future”), Kevin Pollak (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Leanne Melissa Bishop (“The Weight of Perfection”) and Aaron Ashmore (Ginny & Georgia”) will star in Penguin Pictures and Farpoint Films’ feature film “What If.”

To be directed by Lindsay MacKay (“The Swearing Jar,” “Wet Bum”), the family drama made its market debut at the Toronto Film Festival.

“What If” follows Marley, a woman in her forties who discovers she was part of a hospital birth mix-up. The revelation sends her on a journey to redefine family, accompanied by an old high school friend facing his own truths.

Written by Bishop, the film is produced by Michael P. Mason (“The Weight of Perfection”), Bishop and Kyle Bornais (“The Swearing Jar”) of Farpoint Films. Peter Wetherell serves as executive producer.

The film’s creative team includes Toronto veterans. MacKay’s debut “Wet Bum” premiered at the festival in 2014, while her sophomore feature “The Swearing Jar” screened at the 2022 festival. Mason, a Canadian Film Centre graduate, has worked on films that have shown at Toronto and other major festivals.

“What If” is currently in the pre-production phase with plans to start filming later this year.

“We are beyond excited about the talented cast we’ve assembled. ‘What If’ is filled with complex, layered characters, and this cast’s combined talent and experience are a perfect fit to breathe life into this heartfelt story,” said Mason. “These days audiences are yearning for authenticity in their content, there’s a real desire globally for films that tell these kinds of universal human stories. Lindsay has such a great instinct with character, we can’t wait to see how she works with this incredible cast to bring the script to life.”

Bishop added: “I am thrilled to be working with such an exceptional cast on this film that is so near and dear to me. Each talent brings their own unique voice, which will allow all of these characters to come to life. For me, family is very important, and family means different things to many people. Often in life, we find ourselves searching for a sense of belonging, wanting to be accepted. I hope this film helps people to understand, accept, and love themselves, for exactly who they are. I’m excited to see the magic everyone brings to the big screen.”