OHMYGOSSIP — Brian Cox and Jodie Turner-Smith are to team up on ‘The Independent’. The pair have boarded the cast of the political thriller that will be helmed by Emmy-nominated director Amy Rice from a script written by Evan Parter. The film is set during the final weeks of the most consequential presidential election in history and follows a young journalist (Turner-Smith) as she teams up with her idol (Cox) to reveal a conspiracy that places the fate of the election, and that of the country, in their hands. Ryan Cunningham, Sam Bisbee, Thea Dunlap, Caddy Vanasirikul and Parter are set to produce the flick. Lance Acord and Jackie Kelman Bisbee for Park Pictures and Brian O’Shea and Nat McCormick for The Exchange are serving as executive producers. The Exchange is financing the movie and are presenting it to buyers at the virtual Toronto International Film Festival. O’Shea, CEO of the Exchange, said: “Brian is not only a wonderful actor, he has global appeal and paired with Jodie’s strong screen presence and talent, ‘The Independent’ looks like one of the strongest titles of this market.” Brian is also set to star in and executive produce the drama ‘Mending the Line’, which will be directed by Joshua Caldwell. The story follows a young soldier (Walls) who is injured in Afghanistan and meets a Vietnam veteran (Cox) at the hospital. The veteran teaches the younger man how to fly fish in a bid to help the soldier cope with the physical and emotional trauma of his injuries. Joshua said: “The film has a rich tapestry of emotion, and I’m excited to be working with Brian and Sinqua to bring these wonderful characters to life.”