Picturestart and Picture Perfect Federation have set JC Lee to direct the English-language remake of Thai hit Bad Genius (Chalard Games Goeng) and have cast rising stars Callina Liang (Tell Me Everything) and Jabari Banks (Bel-Air) alongside Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange franchise).
Picture Perfect Federation has also announced a raft of pre-sales, closing deals for the UK (Studiocanal), Australia/ New Zealand (Roadshow), France (Metropolitan), Germany and Austria (Constantin), Italy (Leone), and Latin America (Sun).
Rights have also gone in Japan (Gaga), Benelux (Searchers), Scandinavia (Nordisk), Spain (Tripictures), Middle East (Front Row), and Eastern Europe (Unicorn).
Production on the remake is scheduled to commence in May based on an adapted screenplay by Julius Onah and Lee. he story follows a diverse group of young people who team up to fight the system of injustice and inequity and take down the rigged academic institutions around them.
The original film opened at number one at the Thai box office on May 3, 2017 and became the highest-grossing Thai film of the year. It broke box office records in several other Asian countries including China, making it the most internationally successful Thai film ever. Nattawut Poonpiriya wrote and directed and hai film studio GDH 559 Company Limited produced.
Erik Feig and Jessica Switch are producing Bad Genius via Picturestart along with Patrick Wachsberger and Ashley Stern via Picture Perfect Federation banner. Mallory Edens’ Little Ray Media is financing. Executive producers include Edens, Picturestart’s Julia Hammer, and Benedict Wong.
“I am so excited to share a new take on what was already a wildly successful and remarkable film,” said Lee. “I can’t wait to work with this fantastic, innovative group of artists, drawing on our diverse array of real world experiences to make a film as thrilling and fun as the original.”
“It is such a treat to work on this adaptation of Bad Genius, a timely and cool movie we love,” said Feig and Wachsberger. “Add in a talent as singular and aptly suited to the task as JC Lee, along with Benedict, up-and-comers Callina and Jabari, and our new partner Mallory Edens, and you have a title we are thrilled about.”
“I fell in love with Bad Genius when I read it because of the way the lead character Lynn is written,” said Edens. ”She is a worthy protagonist because she’s a young woman who is highly intelligent, independent thinking and brave. She is also importantly flawed: as the title suggests, she does some ‘bad’ things. It’s the kind of female character I wish I had seen more of growing up, and I’m so excited to team up with Picturestart and Picture Perfect Federation to bring Lynn’s story to moviegoing audiences so they can join us on her adventure.”
Lee is known for serving as a producer and writer of Luce based on his play of the same name. His producing, supervising producer and co-producer credits includeThe Morning Show, How to Get Away with Murder, and Looking.
James McGough and Christina Tajalli negotiated the deal on behalf of Picturestart. Alan Grodin of Weintraub Tobin negotiated the deal on behalf of Picture Perfect Federation. Andrew Kramer of Loeb & Loeb represents Little Ray Media.
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