Lionsgate Boards Adult Comedy ‘Rager’ From Imagine Entertainment; Jon Kasdan To Direct

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate has picked up Rager, an adult comedy from Imagine Entertainment, which Jon Kasdan (Solo: A Star Wars Story) will direct from his script written with Emmy nominee Dan Klein.

While plot details are under wraps, we hear the film is in the spirit of The Hangover. Imagine developed the script with Kasdan and Klein and sold it on spec. Producers will include Brian Grazer, Jeb Brody, and Allan Mandelbaum, with Justin Wilkes exec producing.

In addition to co-writing Solo: A Star Wars Story, which Imagine Entertainment principal Ron Howard directed for Disney/Lucasfilm, Kasdan is known for writing and showrunning Disney+’s Willow, co-produced by Imagine. He also wrote and directed the romantic comedy, The First Time, starring Britt Robertson and Dylan O’Brien, as well as Warner Bros’ In the Land of Women, starring Adam Brody, Kristen Stewart, and Meg Ryan.

Emmy-nominated for his writing on the Jon Stewart-hosted Night of Too Many Stars: America Comes Together for Autism Programs, Klein is also known for his work on TBS’s Miracle Workers, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, and numerous other series.

Founded by Howard and Brian Grazer, Imagine most recently produced the former’s starry survival thriller Eden, which world premiered at this year’s Toronto Film Featival. Select projects last year included Prime Video’s Eddie Murphy holiday comedy Candy Cane Lane, Netflix’s family comedy Family Switch, and Apple TV+’s The Beanie Bubble starring Zach Galifianakis and Elizabeth Banks. Recently announcing development on a 24 movie for 20th Century Studios, the company is also the co-producer of Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming Amazon MGM thriller After the Hunt.

Lionsgate has just recently renewed its first-look deal with Kingdom Story Company, also inking Hunger Games franchise filmmaker Francis Lawrence to a first-look via his about:blank banner. Additionally, the studio has rounded out the cast for its Jason Statham-led action-thriller Mutiny and snapped up UK and Ireland rights to the true crime story Belly of the Beast, starring Ben Stiller and Colin Farrell.

Kasdan is represented by CAA and Greenberg Glusker; Klein by Rise Management and Ziffren Brittenham.