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Romantic comedies often operate on a comforting logic, a world where chance encounters feel less like random occurrences and more like the machinations of destiny. It’s a narrative structure as old as the genre, but one that finds new life when viewed through a specific, modern lens.

The indie film Things Like This leans directly into this idea, presenting a premise that feels both classic and refreshingly sincere. The film introduces us to two men, both named Zack, navigating their own quiet disappointments in the sprawling backdrop of New York City.

Their lives run on parallel tracks of dissatisfaction. Zack Anthony, brought to life with earnest energy by writer-director Max Talisman, is an aspiring fantasy novelist with a completed manuscript but a life stuck in neutral. His creative spirit is consistently dampened by persistent, internalized self-doubt about his worth.

Simultaneously, Zack Mandel (Joey Pollari) is grinding away as a talent agency assistant,...

Writer/director/star Max Talisman wrote Things Like This to be like any other rom-com. Sick of the constantly negative portrayal of queer characters, he wants to rewrite typical roles to reflect the truths of gay life.

We here at FandomWire got to speak with Max, as well as co-stars Charlie Tahan, Danny Chavarriaga, and Margaret Berkowitz about their film, which is in theaters now. Check it out below!

Things Like This interview Joey Pollari stars in ‘Things Like This’

Charlie Tahan in ‘Things Like This’

FandomWire: This project is so exciting. You’ve described this film as the kind of rom-com you’ve always wanted to see, and it’s clearly personal. What was the first seed of the idea, and when did it start to feel real?

Max Talisman: I hadn’t seen myself represented on screen, so I decided to create something that reflected me. That initial scene sparked everything.

"You can't go through life & love expecting the worst to happen, because you might be scared when the best love finds you." Mpx Releasing has unveiled an official trailer for an indie romantic comedy film titled Things Like This, marking the feature directorial debut of the actor Max Talisman. This charming queer romcom film is ready for release in theaters starting in May in just a few months. When two people sharing the same name find themselves falling in love, it seems as if destiny has woven their lives together amidst the restless heartbeat of New York City. Under the city's shimmering lights and endless skyline, everything feels perfectly aligned. But in a place where dreams and realities blur, is fate ever as predictable as it seems? Starring Max Talisman as Zack, and Joey Pollari also as Zack – the two new lovers, along with Charlie Tahan as his best friend,...

MPX Films has acquired LGBTQ rom-com “Things Like This” for an early 2025 release, TheWrap can exclusively reveal. The project from filmmaker and star Mark Talisman marks the freshman distribution company’s debut film. It is also Talisman’s directorial debut.

The indie project will launch in partnership with Big Picture Collective Studios (Bpc).

“Today’s feature film distribution world is dominated by macro industry trends, often sidelining the unique opportunities of independent content. By leveraging our expertise, we aim to empower and elevate visionary talents like Max Talisman to bypass these barriers and engage directly with their audiences across all screens and windows,” Mpx founders James Andrew Felts and Ryan Bury said in a statement.

“Things Like This” stars an ensemble cast including Joey Pollari (“American Crime”), Jackie Cruz (“Orange is the New Black”), Charlie Tahan (“Ozark”), Cara Buono (“Stranger Things”), Eric Roberts (“The Dark Knight”), Nicholas Hamilton (“It”), James Leon...

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The Repair Shop outfit Ricochet has signed up British indie vet Damon Pattison as its Creative Director. Reporting to MD Joanna Ball, Pattison will be responsible for developing, pitching and securing new commissions across all genres for the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed outfit. Pattison, who replaces Katy Thorogood, most recently ran Banijay-backed Beyond’s UK production arm but it was shuttered last year. He previously worked for BBC Studios and Keo Films, and set up Lucky Day Productions in 2007, which was sold to Zodiak Media Group. Ricochet makes smash BBC series The Repair Shop along with the likes of Channel 4’s Food Unwrapped and Discovery’s Woodland Workshop. “Damon’s experience, energy and creativity, is precisely what we need in a Creative Director,” said Ball.

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Sales to commence at EFM in Berlin next February.

Motion Picture Exchange (Mpx) has acquired worldwide sales rights to the completed queer rom-com Things Like This from Malibu, Bro Productions directed by and starring LGBTQ+ activist Max Talisman from Super Dark Times and Orange Is The New Black.

Mpx will commence sales around EFM in Berlin next February on the feature directorial and writing debut by Talisman, who stars alongside a cast which includes Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight).

Things Like This follows two men with the same name who begin to fall in love in New York City, unaware...

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Phoenix centers on Fiona “Phoenix” Grant (Marie), a U.S. Army veteran Sergeant who is teaching hand-to-hand combat skills in Afghanistan when she receives word that her father, Everett Grant (Couture), a prominent security specialist, has been killed in Florida. The police report says it was suicide, but Fiona doesn’t believe it. Encouraged to take a leave of absence by her commanding officer (McDonough), she heads back to the U.S. and soon learns that the prime suspect is Maxim Vasiliiev (Prudius), a ruthless local drug kingpin with an army of mercenaries and enough legal, political and business...