Saturday Night LivealumNasim Pedrad,MudboundstarJason MitchellandOrange Is the New BlackactressDanielle Brooksare in talks to star in Netflix’s romantic comedyDesperados, Collider has exclusively learned.
Pedrad will play a neurotic woman who takes her friends (including Brooks) to Mexico to thwart a hateful e-mail she accidentally sent to her new, perfect near-boyfriend, who is in the hospital there. During her trip, she keeps running into a terrible recent blind date (Mitchell) who maybe isn’t so terrible after all.
The filmmaker known asLPwill direct from a script byEllen Rapoport, andMason Novick(Juno) is producing via his Lost City banner. Production is slated to start early next year in Mexico.
Netflix has found success with its romantic comedies of late, asSet It Up,The Kissing BoothandTo All the Boys I’ve Loved Beforewere all seen as breakout hits earlier this year in terms of the sheer amount of press they generated. The streaming service is eager to serve that audience, and will release theGina RodriguezvehicleSomeone Greatnext year.
LP is an up-and-coming comedy director who has numerous short films to her credit and recently directed an episode ofIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, Rapoport is a former writer forThe Jamie Kennedy Experimentwho worked on a draft of the upcoming animated movieClifford the Big Red Dog. CAA represents both LP and Rapoport, who are respectively managed by 3 Arts Entertainment and Management 360.
Pedrad will soon be seen as a new character in Disney’s live-actionAladdinmovie, and she has also wrapped Patrick Brice’s horror-comedyCorporate Animals, which starsEd HelmsandDemi Moore. She’s no stranger to that genre, having co-starred in Cooties withElijah WoodandRainn Wilson. In addition toSNL, Pedrad’s TV credits includeNew Girl,Scream QueensandMulaney. She’s repped by UTA.
Mitchell has been on a roll since his breakout turn asEazy-EinStraight Outta Compton, having co-starred inDee Rees' acclaimed dramaMudbound,Kathryn Bigelow’sDetroitand the big-budget tentpoleKong: Skull Island. He recently appeared inSuperFlyand will next be seen inSebastian Silva’s anti-horror movieTyrel. Mitchell is currently filming A24’s stripper sagaZola, and he also stars on the Showtime seriesThe Chi. He’s repped by UTA, Authentic Talent and Literary Management and attorney P.J. Shapiro.
Brooks plays Taystee on Netflix’sOrange Is the New Blackand she can currently be seen in the indie dramaSadie. Brooks has also wrapped the indie movieClemencywithAlfre Woodardas well as the intriguing dramaAll the Little Things We Kill, which starsElizabeth Marvelas a college professor who takes her students hostage to force the passage of a bill that bans semi-automatic weapons. She’ll also star alongsideAnna Kendrickin a new comedy fromFour LionsdirectorChristopher Morris. Brooks is repped by UTA, Door 24 and attorney Erik Hyman.
