In today’s film news roundup, Ruby Modine reprises her villain role in the “Happy Death Day” sequel, Passionflix has cast its leads for “Driven,” and Breaking Glass sets a June release for LGBTQ story “Hooked.”
CASTINGS
Ruby Modine has signed on to reprise her role as Lori Spengler in Blumhouse Productions’ thriller sequel “Happy Death Day 2” opposite Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Suraj Sharma, and Sarah Yarkin.
Modine, daughter of Matthew Modine, broke out as part of the cast of Showtime’s “Shameless” in 2016, then scored the role in director Christopher Landon’s “Happy Death Day” as a nursing student at Bayfield University and its campus hospital.
Landon wrote the original script, which he directs. John Baldecchi and Angela Mancuso serve as executive producers. Jason Blum returns as producer with Ryan Turek as co-producer.
“Happy Death Day 2” starts shooting in New Orleans in two weeks. Modine is represented by Gersh.
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Olivia Applegate and Casey Deidrick have been tapped to star in Passionflix’s latest film “Driven,” adapted from K. Bromberg’s eponymous novel, Variety has learned exclusively.
Production has launched in Los Angeles with exclusive distribution on the newly minted, romance-only OTT platform in late summer. Tosca Musk directs, with Jina Panebianco producing and Joany Kane adapting for the screen.
Applegate starred in Terrence Malick’s “Song to Song.” Diedrick has credits in “Teen Wolf” and “Days of Our Lives.”
ACQUISITION
Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired North American rights to writer/director Max Emerson’s LGBTQ story “Hooked,” Variety has learned exclusively.
The film will open theatrically in Los Angeles on June 1, followed by a DVD and VOD release on June 5. The film stars Laura Austin, Conor Donnally, and Jay Alan Christianson and is produced by Melissa D. Llewellyn.
“Hooked” follows an 18-year-old hustler Jack and his boyfriend, Tom. Matt, a married man who hasn’t come out of the closet, decides to take Jack from NYC to Miami with the intention of helping him before it’s too late.
A percentage of the profits from the film will be donated to non-profits and partner organizations to support the homeless LGBTQ youth demographic. Partner organizations include the Ali Forney Center, the Los Angeles LGBT Center, Albert Kennedy Trust, Lost and Found, and GLAAD.
“It’s apparent that LGBTQ kids need a place they can go to be safe…to find guidance from people who actually identity with the things they are going through,” said Emerson. “It’s not special treatment, it’s a necessity.”
