Stay in the loop on industry and casting news with our write-up on who’s been slated for recent film and television roles!
Please note that shoot dates are subject to state and county restrictions and may change. Refer to Call Sheet for updates, and keep checking Backstage for the latest news on project development during this time.
“Wedding Season”
On Netflix, this spring marks the beginning of production on “Wedding Season,” just in time for the real thing. In order to survive a social calendar full of friends’ weddings, two Indian Americans pretend to couple up to assuage their families’ desire for them to find partners. But the line between reality and pretend starts to blur as the two find themselves falling for each other and coming to terms with the people their parents want them to be. The streaming rom-com has already started attaching actors to the film, with Chrystie Street’s Jessica Kelly on board as CD. Suraj Sharma, Pallavi Sharda, Arianna Afsar, and Rizwan Manji are all set to appear in the project, written by Shiwani Srivastava. Production is planned to kick off in mid-April in Toronto.
“Players”
Elsewhere in the world of Netflix rom-coms, Gina Rodriguez will follow up her starring appearance in 2019’s “Someone Great” with “Players.” Rodriguez will portray Mack, a sports writer in Chicago who, along with a friend, has spent years devising “plays” in order to target hookups. Her normal MO is upended, though, when she ends up falling for one of her marks, and she has to figure out how to rewrite her “playbook” when the objective of the game has changed. The film, directed by Trish Sie and cast by Lindsey Weissmueller, has already started to assemble actors. Tom Ellis will play Mack’s love interest, while Damon Wayans Jr. will portray her best friend. Production is planned for an early July start in Vancouver and Chicago.
“Bros”
Billy Eichner is stepping away from the streets to star in his own film, teaming up with producer Judd Apatow. The comedy, directed by Nicholas Stoller and co-written by Stoller and Eichner, follows the blossoming romance between two men as they attempt to start a relationship despite their commitment-phobic tendencies. Eichner is currently the only actor attached to the project. Gayle Keller is casting his onscreen love interest and the rest of the ensemble out of New York. Shooting delays have continually pushed production back on the movie. With a 2022 release date, filming is rumored to be taking place later this year in New York.
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This story originally appeared in the April 1 issue of Backstage Magazine. Subscribe here.