Black Bear Buys Mother-Daughter Love Triangle Comedy Spec

Black Bear has acquired an untitled comedy spec from writing duo Cassidy Alla and Read Masino, Variety revealed exclusively. The premise is blunt: a mother and daughter inadvertently start dating the same man.

According to the official logline, "the whole family – each at their own crossroad in life and love – must deal with the chaotic fallout." That's the entire engine of the film. One man, two relatives, several crossroads. Hollywood has bought worse ideas for more money, though rarely with this economy of setup.

The sale marks a breakout moment for two writers still building their names. Alla and Masino met while working as assistants at Apatow Productions, Judd Apatow's company — the traditional proving ground for feature comedy writers. Their credits so far are steady rather than famous.

Who are Cassidy Alla and Read Masino?

The pair already have a movie in development at Netflix, with Berlanti/Schechter producing and Nahnutchka Khan — wait, Nahnatchka Khan, director of "Totally Killer," attached to direct. The duo's résumés split neatly between television support roles:

• Masino worked as a writers' assistant (the staff writer who drafts revisions and manages scripts) on Amazon's "Spider-Noir" and Apple's "Brothers" and "The Muppet Show."
• Alla worked for showrunner Justin Noble, co-creator of "The Sex Lives of College Girls."

Both are represented by UTA. Alla is additionally repped by Mosaic; Masino by Artists First.

What did Black Bear say about the deal?

Michael Heimler, Partner, President of Production & Operations at Black Bear, did not hold back on the spec. "This script is one of the funniest and most poignant scripts we have seen in years about romance, family and the dysfunction so often associated with both," Heimler said. He added: "Cassidy and Read are two of the most exciting voices we've read in some time, and we can't wait to bring this story to life."

"Most exciting voices in some time" is standard acquisition language. "Funniest and most poignant in years" is a stronger bid. Studio presidents don't typically grade specs on a curve, but the double superlative suggests genuine internal enthusiasm rather than boilerplate.

The writers, for their part, kept their sense of humor about the material. "We had so much fun writing this chaotic comedy about a family (not to be confused with a family comedy) and couldn't ask for a better partner on this project than Black Bear," Alla and Masino said in a joint statement. The parenthetical is doing real work. A comedy about a family and a family comedy are, as any holiday dinner confirms, very different genres.

Where does this fit in Black Bear's slate?

Black Bear, which launched its distribution arm in 2025, is the studio behind "Train Dreams," "Sing Sing" and "The Imition Game" — a roster that skews prestige rather than broad farce. The untitled spec sits slightly against type.

The company's upcoming slate includes:

• "Honeymoon / Funeral," starring Rebecca Ferguson, Greta Lee and Carrie Coon
• "Wicker," starring Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård and Peter Dinklage
• Guy Ritchie's "Wife and Dog," with Benedict Cumberbatch and Rosamund Pike

A mother-daughter love triangle comedy gives that slate its most overtly commercial comic entry, and it arrives as the spec market — the business of buying original, uncommissioned screenplays — continues to reward fresh voices over established franchises. For two writers who met taking notes in an assistant's office, the math is simple: one spec, one studio, and now a film positioned to define their feature careers.