Harsh Vardhan
Chris Long has picked up his next challenge! The Cinemaholic can reveal that the filmmaker will make his feature directorial debut with the murder mystery ‘The Up and Comer.’ The filming of the movie will start in Chicago, Illinois, on September 30. Long is helming the project based on a screenplay penned by Howard Roughan.
The plot revolves around Philip Randall, an ambitious attorney on the brink of becoming the youngest partner at his prestigious Manhattan law firm. As he navigates the challenges of his career, he indulges in risky behavior, including an affair with his best friend’s wife. Then, the game changes, and the stakes get higher. Someone begins following Philip’s every move, waiting for the chance to strike with a vengeance. Soon, the attorney is at the center of a murder investigation that can end his career, his marriage, and his fabulous life.
Long is known for serving as a director and executive producer of FX’s period spy drama ‘The Americans,’ which won two Peabody Awards. He became a part of CBS’ crime drama series ‘The Mentalist‘ from the second season as an executive producer and helmed twenty-seven episodes of the show, which follows a former psychic who, after revealing himself as a fraud, becomes a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation in his quest to find “Red John,” the murderer of his wife and daughter. His directorial credits also include some of the most popular network shows of all time, including ‘Criminal Minds‘ and ‘Supernatural.’
Long’s recent work includes episodes of FX’s ‘The Patient,’ a psychological thriller series in which a psychotherapist is held captive by a serial killer who forces him to help control his murderous impulses. He also directed five episodes of Apple TV+’s ‘Suspicion,’ a crime drama that revolves around five ordinary Britons accused of kidnapping the son of a high-profile U.S. media mogul. The filmmaker’s initial TV directing ventures include episodes of ‘Smallville,’ ‘Gilmore Girls,’ and ‘Monk.’
David Fincher’s thriller film ‘The Killer‘ and the anthology series ‘Fargo‘ used Chicago, Illinois, as a significant backdrop.
