Danny Burstein Joins William Atticus Parker's Debut Film FORTY WINKS

William Atticus Parker has announced the debut of his film "Forty Winks". Parker, an 18-Year Old Writer, Director, Actor, and Producer, has assembled an all-star cast for his first film.

Tony winner Danny Burstein, Susan Sarandon, Justin Marcel McManus, John Turturro, Carmen Ejogo, Hart Bochner, Ben Shenkman, Leon Addison Brown, and Dan Finnerty all appear in a tale about a hypnotist blackmailed into becoming a hitman. Parker is the founder and CEO of River Styx Productions

"I'm beyond excited for people to see the spectacular work the cast and crew put into this wild, obscure, noir ride. I never would have thought this was possible, it's a beautiful experience," said Parker.

"Forty Winks" is the tale of a struggling hypnotist in New York City who is blackmailed into being the world's first hypnotist hit man after a mysterious woman finds out his degree is fake. It's an English language Drama/Dark Comedy/Thriller feature film. It was written, directed, and produced by Parker and has an R rating for brief violent sequences and profanity throughout. "Forty Winks" was filmed in New York.

Justin McManus plays Fabio Baker, a struggling grifter with skills in hypnotism finds himself less and less in control of his destiny. Shot in black and white, most of the action takes place on small sets for a television spot and in an office for Fabio's therapy. Parker's film is chock full of emerging bit-part actors and A-list stars.

"I'm in awe of how "Forty Winks" was made. There's a long list of big names appearing in Parker's film. Susan Sarandon and John Turturro are on screen, with Sarandon taking on a significant role," wrote Alan Ng from Film Threat.

Daniel Harlow, of Bunker15, serves as an Executive Producer for "Forty Winks".

Burstein won a Tony Award in 2021 for his performance in Moulin Rouge! He is a seven-time nominee for The Drowsy Chaperone (2006), South Pacific (2008), Follies (2012), GOLDEN BOY (2013), Cabaret (2014), and Fiddler on the Roof (2016).

He has also won two Drama Desk Awards, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, and received three Grammy Award nominations. Burstein's performance as Harold Zidler in the stage adaptation of Moulin Rouge! on Broadway earned him the 2020 Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance. His other Broadway credits include The Seagull (1992), Saint Joan (1993), and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (2010).

Burstein's television work includes a feature-length episode of the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (2002) and a Staten Island father in the first season of Louie (2010). He appeared as different characters in six episodes of the original NBC drama series Law & Order (1995-2015), and also recurred as Lolly Steinman on the HBO series BOARDWALK EMPIRE (2010-11). Burstein currently recurs as D.A. Lewis Cormier on the series Evil. His film appearances include Transamerica (2005), Deception (2008), THE FAMILY Fang (2015), and Indignation (2016).

William Atticus Parker is eighteen and has already made two feature films, with many more along the way. He has worked with Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Alec Baldwin, John Turturro, and more. He received critical acclaim for his first feature film, FORTY WINKS (2022, Plex), garnering over 25 awards.

He has always been captivated by the arts. His experience has been paved by a true passion for film, television, and theatre. River Styx Productions was the artistic outlet and the perfect way to express his thoughts, creativity, and imagination. He quickly fell in love with directing & writing and has not looked back since.

To post a comment, you must register and login.