Nicola Peltz Beckham's Film Career: A Family-Funded Mystery
Nicola Peltz Beckham's journey in the film industry presents a curious puzzle that continues to unfold. Her cinematic debut arrived with the stripper drama Lola, a project she not only starred in but also wrote and directed. The film's commercial performance proved disastrous, generating a mere $648 at the box office upon its February 2024 release while drawing harsh criticism from reviewers.
Persisting Through Failure
Despite this embarrassing commercial and critical flop, Peltz Beckham has pressed forward with her cinematic ambitions. She has since completed a crime thriller titled Pretty Ugly, in which she again takes a starring role, though this film awaits its public release. Furthermore, she is currently immersed in production for a major ballet drama called Prima.
This new project boasts an impressive supporting cast, including the legendary Oscar-winning actress Faye Dunaway, who portrays her grandmother, alongside other established names such as Mira Sorvino. However, the leading role remains firmly with Nicola Peltz Beckham, who also contributed the 'story and character' elements, though not the full script, and is not directing this particular venture.
The Bunny Films Connection
All three of these cinematic endeavours share a common production home: a company named Bunny Films. These productions operate on relatively modest budgets, believed to fall within the $2 million to $5 million range. The company's incorporation in Delaware, a state renowned for its business-friendly secrecy laws, means its financial details and ownership structure are shielded from public scrutiny.
Nevertheless, friends close to the Peltz family have confirmed a significant detail: Nicola's billionaire father, Nelson Peltz, is financially involved in Bunny Films. This familial backing provides crucial context for the persistence of her film career despite initial commercial setbacks.
Creative Direction and Personal Inspiration
Prima is being directed by the Italian photography duo Luca and Alessandro Morelli, known professionally as the Morelli brothers. While they lack a traditional filmmaking background, they have previous collaborative experience with Nicola and her husband, Brooklyn Beckham, including a cover shoot for Glamour magazine in June of last year.
The film's synopsis reveals a narrative centred on Margo, played by Peltz Beckham, a prima ballerina raised by her disciplinarian grandmother. The story explores her unravelling as institutional traditions are disrupted, igniting a power struggle. This project carries personal significance for Nicola, who was extremely close to her own grandmother, Gina, affectionately known as Naunni or Bunny, whose passing in 2024 at age 95 left her heartbroken. Brooklyn Beckham's subsequent tattoo of a bunny on his arm served as a mark of support for his grieving wife.
Family Tensions and Public Drama
The wedding of Nicola and Brooklyn became a flashpoint for familial discord between the Peltz and Beckham clans. Disagreements surfaced over elements like the bride's dress, which was not created by her mother-in-law, fashion designer Victoria Beckham, and the groom's 'first dance' with his mother. This latter incident, recently described by Brooklyn in an 800-word Instagram post as leaving him 'humiliated' and 'embarrassed', has led to a very public estrangement. Brooklyn has stated he does not wish to reconcile with his parents, who have made no public comment.
Despite these tensions, the entire Beckham family attended the premiere of Lola in a show of support. However, Nicola has since removed all pictures of them from her Instagram account. The couple have also held a 'do-over' wedding ceremony excluding the Beckhams, and Brooklyn blocked his parents on social media just before Christmas. Reports indicate he instructed them to communicate only through lawyers as relations deteriorated last summer.
Wider Entertainment Industry Notes
In other entertainment news, Olivia Wilde has made a notable comeback with her new film The Invite, which became the toast of the Sundance Film Festival. This success appears to have moved past the controversies that plagued her previous project, Don't Worry Darling.
Meanwhile, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, took a prominent role at the Sundance premiere of Cookie Queens, a documentary about Girl Scouts, which she executive produced alongside Prince Harry. Notably, her on-screen credit appeared above his. Sources indicate the project was particularly meaningful to Meghan due to her own past as a Girl Scout, though it is understood that Netflix, which has a first-look deal with the couple, has passed on the documentary.
