Kay Cannon made her directorial debut with one of the top comedies of 2018, Blockers. Mixing genuine laughs with progressive looks at love and sex, the film was a hit. Thus it’s no surprise that she’s quickly been snapped up for another comedy. Cannon will direct 79ers for Lionsgate, which is being produced by industry heavyweights Seth Rogen and Will Ferrell.
The film follows a group of estranged friends who are forced back together after 20 years to complete a treasure hunt they couldn’t complete as misfit teens. The studio is reportedly aiming for something like “The Goonies for adults”.
Dylan Meyer has been hired to work on the screenplay, which was originally written by Jean-Ralphio himself, Ben Schwartz. Lionsgate’s Nathan Kahane said of the project:
“Kay is wonderful at capturing characters in situational conflict and is the perfect choice for this re-engineered coming-of-age comedy. […] I have loved this script ever since I first read it. It has such great roles for a group of actors, as our estranged friends have the wisdom and life experience of 30 year-olds, but the baggage of their teen years”.
Cannon has quickly risen up the Hollywood ranks. Before directing Blockers, she scripted the Pitch Perfect franchise, which has grossed over $500 million worldwide. She was also the creator/showrunner of Netflix’s short-lived but enjoyable series Girlboss, which starred Britt Robertson.
Alongside her producing partner Laverne McKinnon, they launched K&L Productions, which has several projects set up. One is an hour-long action comedy at Amazon that Cannon co-created and will direct, while she’s also the writer-director of Sony’s upcoming musical-comedy reimagining of Cinderella. She’s crushing it.
We’ll wait to hear more news about 79ers. Considering the comedic chemistry on display in Blockers, actors will likely be lining up for a role here.
#Peace.Love.79ers
