Brian Cox Forms an Unlikely Friendship in First ‘Little Wing’ Images

Now that Succession has come to an end, Brian Cox is spreading his wings and taking flight in his latest project, Little Wing. We at Collider are thrilled to exclusively present the first batch of images from the Paramount+ feature that’s set to hit the streamer on March 13. Along with the Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner, the drama also stars the likes of Yellowstone star Kelly Reilly, Cocaine Bear’s Brooklynn Prince, and Che Tafari (Me Time).

In Little Wing, which was inspired by The New Yorker article penned by Susan Orlean, a teenager named Kaitlyn (Prince) is going through one of the toughest things a young person can face – her parents’ divorce. Worried about her mother, who’s on the brink of a financial collapse that would see her losing her home, Kaitlyn and her close friend (Tafari) hatch a plan to kidnap (birdnap?) a priceless bird. But, when Kaitlyn meets the bird’s owner (Cox), the pair strike up an unlikely friendship that teaches both of them a thing or two about life.

In our exclusive look, the film begins to fly into view as each of the main players receives a close-up. Being a teenager is tough enough, but from the project’s synopsis, things are especially crappy for Kaitlyn, so it’s understandable why she’s not only scowling in one photo but going full Beyoncé and taking a baseball bat to a windshield in the other. Things aren’t completely terrible for the young woman, as other shots see her enjoying some time outside with Tafari and Cox’s characters, while another depicts the close relationship that she has with her mother. Of course, the marketing team would’ve been remiss to not include a standalone of Cox, looking as moody as Logan Roy. Speaking about the project, director and executive producer Dean Israelite said:

“When John Gatins asked me 6 years ago if I was at all interested in reading “a weird little script about pigeon racing,” my response was emphatic. Of course I was! I fell in love with the script for way more than the playful pigeons; the themes resonated deeply. Themes of belonging, the impact of divorce on our main character, the mental health struggles that teens are dealing with today. Homing pigeons, with their profound pull towards a single home, and the way they find their freedom soaring to great heights in a race, are the perfect metaphor… and were a fun challenge to bring to the screen.”

Who’s Behind ‘Little Wing’?

The production marks a reunion for the studio and its director, as Israelite previously paired up with Paramount for his 2015 found-footage flick, Project Almanac. Israelite, who holds credits as the director for the Power Rangers and Are You Afraid of the Dark reboots, also served the film as an executive producer alongside Cox, Orlean, Karen Rosenfelt, Donald De Line, Liz Brandenburg, and Don Dunn. Bringing Orlean’s article to screenplay form was Academy Award nominee John Gatins (Flight, Coach Carter), who, along with Naomi Despres, joined as a producer.

Peruse our exclusive first images of Little Wing in the gallery above and tune in for the film’s premiere on Paramount+ on March 13. For our readers in Los Angeles, stay tuned to Collider for information about our upcoming screening of Little Wing.