Michelle Danner (Dir – Under the Stars) [2025 Interview]
Troy is in the quotes, our interview subject immediately follows with her answers.
The Story: “Under the Stars” follows a novelist stuck in a passionless relationship who travels to Italy to find the girl of his dreams. What drew you to this particular love story, and how did you approach bringing Victoria Vinuesa’s screenplay to life?
I love love stories and I was very inspired by Before Sunrise where you watch two people – brilliantly played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy – fall in love in front of our eyes. When I was asked to direct the movie, the draft they sent me did not have the storyline of Toni Collette and Andy Garcia falling in love, and of course there’s a twist in their romance. My driving goal was to show the two couples as having a real and ultimately beautiful romantic connection.
Setting and Locations: The film is set against the bustle of London and the serenity of Puglia. Can you describe your vision for how these two very different locations serve the narrative and character development?
I grew up in Europe and always heard about Puglia and how beautiful it was. I had never gone there before but having the chance to make a movie there seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity, and shooting there turned out to be better than every photograph and video that I had seen. The towns are historical and picturesque, the beaches are beautiful, and the people are friendly with a great sense of humor. Though we don’t spend too much time in London, I definitely took that energy of Puglia and tried to make it feel different, the bustle of a city versus the beauty of the Italian countryside.
Your Ensemble Cast: You brought together Toni Collette, Andy Garcia, Alex Pettyfer, Eva De Dominici (who plays Arianna), Rob Estes, Jessica Serfaty, Chiara Iezzi (who plays Marta), and Tim Fellingham. What was your approach to building chemistry among this diverse ensemble?
I like to talk about the characters and the scenes ahead of time, do rehearsals, create a backstory and relationships, and I think that those layers add to actors being able to work off of each other. There wasn’t much time to delve into all of this with everybody in equal depth, but everyone knew what to bring to the table and got along famously. The whole cast and the crew for that matter filled the set with a wonderful energy that translates to the film.
Your Acting Role: Interestingly, you also appear in the film as the character Loredana. How did juggling your role as director and performer affect your creative process on set?
When it’s a cameo in a very short scene it’s quite easy, but there’s a very specific reason why I played this woman at the market buying fruits. I named the character Loredana after my mother who grew up in Milan, and I enjoyed paying homage to her by being able to do a role that spoke Italian.
Working with Golden Globe and Emmy Winners: You’re directing Oscar nominee Toni Collette (known for “Hereditary”) and Andy Garcia (from “Ocean’s 11”). How did working with such accomplished actors influence your directorial approach?
When you work with actors on that level there’s nothing really to say about them except for the fact that everybody needs a second pair of eyes. I had a front row seat to watching these two legendary actors get to have a lot of fun and work off of each other, and if I felt at any given moment that I could offer something I found a way to communicate it so that I had other choices to play with in the editing room.
Your Directorial Evolution: Your previous credits include “Hello Herman,” “The Bandit Hound,” “Bad Impulse,” “The Runner,” and the acclaimed “Miranda’s Victim.” How has this progression shaped your vision for “Under the Stars”?
I’m very interested in exploring different genres when I direct and when I commit to doing a movie, I do as much research as possible. For Miranda’s Victim I watched all the courtroom dramas I could get my hands on, and for Under the Stars all the romcoms and Italy-set movies I could think of. With every movie you learn lessons by making mistakes and trying not to repeat them. Every experience filming is different and we have to adapt to the locations, the crew, the actors, and do the best to make the story come to life. I always feel there is more to learn, but also I approach each shooting day with the confidence that whatever my experience is will be enough.
Production Timeline: The film was in production in Puglia in spring 2024 and was in post-production through spring 2025. What was the editing and post-production process like for this romantic comedy?
It was challenging because normally I do post-production in Los Angeles and the post houses were located in Italy. I did a lot on Zoom like I did with a film during COVID which I personally hate, it’s always best to be in the same room, but I had to pleasure to work with some wonderful people including the extraordinary composer Andrea Guerra who did Letters to Juliet which was a major inspiration for the film. That was the highlight of the post-production.
Producer Partnership: You worked with producer Pia Patatian (known for “See You in Venus”) on this project. How did that collaboration contribute to the film’s development?
Pia asked me to direct this movie, she’s good friends with Victoria. When we were on set we had a very good relationship, and she really allowed me to take control and shoot the movie I wanted to shoot.
The Romance and Writer’s Block Theme: The story centers on a struggling romance novelist plagued by writer’s block who seeks inspiration in Italy. As a director, how did you explore the intersection of creativity, romance, and self-discovery?
I could really relate to the themes of the movie, looking for love and truth in one’s art and life, and I can connect to being blocked artistically. Since I teach, how to overcome artist’s block is a question I get asked a lot, and I think one of the answers is exactly what the character of Ian does, which is to travel, seek new horizons, look for inspiration in nature and other people’s art, and of course: love.
Working with Your Screenwriter: Victoria Vinuesa wrote the script, and producer Pia Patatian also worked on “See You in Venus” with her. Did you collaborate extensively with Victoria during production to refine scenes or character moments?
I love Victoria and the foundation she laid for the heart of the story, the setting, and these characters were really spectacular. A lot changed from her original script to what we ended up shooting, which of course is par for the course in filmmaking. As a matter of fact, I’m always fascinated when you can get your hands on the first draft of a script and see how it evolved into the final cut of a film.
Genre Balance: “Under the Stars” is a romantic comedy releasing in November 2025. How did you balance the comedic and romantic elements to keep audiences emotionally invested?
I had a great supporting cast of characters like Rob Estes who played Andrew the agent, Vincent Riotta as Pietro, Chiara Iezzi as Marta, and Marco Marzocca as Roberto, all of which brought such great levity and sparkling energy to their scenes. All of the characters in the movie have the heart, the running themes of love and beauty, but with these and many other characters it was important to balance it out by making the audience laugh.
Thematic Goals: Producer Pia Patatian described the film as “a fun and heartfelt romantic comedy about love, passion, and beauty.” What message or emotional experience did you want audiences to take away from watching “Under the Stars”?
There’s a couple in the movie – Pietro and Marta – that to me was like The Notebook couple, this symbol of enduring love. Then you have Ian and Arianna as this burgeoning new love and Audrey and Giacomo that shows how you can find love at any age. As the tagline of the movie says, it’s never too late for a new chapter, I deeply believe in that and wanted the audience to feel it.
Your Next Project: Based on interviews, you mentioned preparing another film to shoot in June 2025 after completing “Under the Stars.” How has this recent project shaped your approach to your next directorial endeavor?
We just wrapped on Starstruck, a new romantic comedy with a great cast including Matthew Daddario, Alice Eve, Josh Bowman, Rob Estes, Catherine Bell, Lauren Tom, and Billy Zane. I’m in post production for it now, we had a really fantastic shoot and I am very much looking forward to seeing audiences’ reactions to it.
