Laurie, Keener cast in big-screen comedy

NEW YORK, April 6 (UPI) -- Hugh Laurie, Catherine Keener, Leighton Meester and Allison Janney have begun work on "The Oranges," a film now shooting in New York.

Also cast in the dark comedy are Oliver Platt, Alia Shawkat, Adam Brody and Sam Rosen, producer Anthony Bregman -- of Likely Story -- and Leslie Urdang and Dean Vanech -- of Olympus Pictures -- announced Tuesday.

"The Oranges" is being directed by Julian Farino from a script written by Jay Reiss and Ian Helfer.

Bregman, Urdang and Vanech are producing the film for their respective companies, and Olympus Pictures is financing it.

"The Ostroff and Walling families are best friends and neighbors, living across the street from each other on Orange Drive," a synopsis of the film said. "Prodigal daughter Nina Ostroff returns home for Thanksgiving dinner after a five-year absence, newly broken up with her fiance Ethan. Rather than developing an interest in the successful son of her neighbors, Toby Walling, which would please both families, it's her parents' best friend David Walling that captures Nina's attention. When the romantic attraction between Nina and David Walling becomes too great to ignore, the lives of the two families are thrown into upheaval."