Los Angeles, May 18 – Acclaimed Hollywood actor Willem Dafoe is set to lead Cuddle, a near-future drama directed by Barbara Paz in her fiction feature debut.
The film explores themes of emotional isolation, human connection, and the longing for touch in an increasingly disconnected world. Dafoe will portray Dante, a professional cuddler who offers platonic intimacy and solace to strangers yearning for companionship.
“Beyond an exploration of loneliness, the need for human touch and conquering challenges, this story captures the zeitgeist of our times,” Dafoe said in a statement, emphasizing the film's relevance to contemporary emotional and social landscapes.
Cuddle also marks a reunion for Dafoe and Paz, who previously collaborated on the 2015 film My Hindu Friend.
The project is being produced by Renata Brandao and Juliana Capelini for Conspiracao, along with Axel Kuschevatzky, Phin Glynn, and Cindy Teperman through Infinity Hill, and Barbara Paz herself under her BP banner.
Dafoe was last seen in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu (2024), a gothic reimagining that also starred Bill Skarsgård, Lily-Rose Depp, and Nicholas Hoult.