Lionsgate Picks Up Global Rights To Leah McKendrick Comedy ‘Scrambled’
EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate has acquired worldwide rights to Scrambled, written by and starring Leah McKendrick, who makes her feature directorial debut on the comedy, which just wrapped filming.
Produced by Jonathan Levine and Gillian Bohrer’s Megamix, along with Brett Haley and Amanda Mortimer, and executive producer Mariah Owen, the film stars McKendrick as Nellie Robinson, a broke, single 34-year-old, fresh off a breakup, who faces down an existential crisis when she decides to freeze her eggs. McKendrick wrote the script following her own egg-retrieval experience last year.
The ensemble cast includes Ego Nwodim (SNL, Love Life), Andrew Santino (Dave), Clancy Brown (Shawshank Redemption, John Wick 4, Dexter: New Blood), Laura Cerón (Station 19, ER), Adam Rodriguez (Magic Mike, Criminal Minds), Yvonne Strahovski (Handmaid’s Tale), June Diane Raphael (Grace and Frankie, Long Shot), Noah Silver (Tyrant), and Sterling Sulieman (Station 19). The cast also includes Max Adler, Mimi Kennedy, Camille Mana, and Matt Pascua.
McKendrick is a Latina American multi-hyphenate from San Francisco. She wrote, produced and co-starred in the vigilante thriller M.F.A. alongside Francesca Eastwood which premiered at SXSW and was dubbed “the first horror movie to speak to the #MeToo era” by The New York Times. McKendrick’s romcom feature Voicemails for Isabelle was preempted by Sony Pictures and landed her on the Black List in 2019. She then wrote the highly-anticipated Grease prequel Summer Lovin’ for Paramount, and set up a second Paramount feature, Better Late than Never, which she is attached to direct. She is currently penning TriStar’s reboot of the ’80s cult classic Troop Beverly Hills.
The project continues Lionsgate’s collaboration with Megamix, which has a production deal with the studio. The studio will go into production next year on a sequel to Dirty Dancing, starring and executive produced by Jennifer Grey, which Megamix will produce and Levine will direct. The studio also recently announced the Megamix production, Sailing, a yacht rock musical comedy to star Woody Harrelson.
BondIt Media Capital is providing production financing. Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor and Grady Craig executive produce for BondIt.
McAuley Cahill and Jordan Backhus co-produce for Megamix.
Chad Russo at Ramo Law negotiated the deal on behalf of the production. McKendrick is represented by UTA, manager David Clark of Mazo Partners, and Joel VanderKloot of VanderKloot Law. Megamix is represented by Carlos Goodman at Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.
Source: deadline.com