Rita Moreno Comedy ‘The Prank’ Acquired By Iconic Events

EXCLUSIVE: Iconic Events has taken domestic rights to The Prank, a dark comedy starring EGOT winner Rita Moreno (West Side Story), Connor Kalopsis (Outmatched) and Ramona Young (Never Have I Ever), from XRM Media and Sneak Preview Entertainment. 

Directed by Maureen Bharoocha (Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin), the SXSW 2022 crowd pleaser will hit approximately 200 screens on March 15. Myriad Pictures is selling international rights at EFM.

The film scripted by Rebecca Flinn-White (Period’s Big Adventure) and Zak White (Creepshow) follows Ben (Kalopsis), who is your typical high-school overachiever. He’s organized, careful, goal-oriented and extremely dedicated to school. His best friend, Tanner (Young), couldn’t be more opposite. She is a lackadaisical, messy, slacker, who lives in the moment. They aren’t popular, but they don’t seem to care that much because they have each other.

Ben has a stern, mean and cruel physics teacher, Mrs. Wheeler (Moreno). She has been teaching at the school for decades and has a reputation for being the hardest, coldest, strictest faculty member. She fails Ben’s entire class unless a student who cheated comes forward. But when no one does, Tanner and Ben hatch a plan to ruin her life and frame her for murder on social media.

Cast also includes Keith David (Nope), Kate Flannery (The Office), Meredith Salenger (Will & Grace), Jonathan Kimmel (Trophy Wife), Nathan Janak (Drama Club), Betsy Sodaro (Ghosts), Talia Jackson (Family Reunion), Romel De Silva (Ghostwriter) and Ahmed Bharoocha (Golden Arm). A Sneak Preview Entertainment production in association with Inphenate, the film is produced by Steven J. Wolfe. XRM Media financed, with co-founder Michael Y. Chow and Inphenate’s Glenn Rigberg serving as executive producers.

Said Bharoocha: “I’m excited to bring The Prank to the big screen so audiences can watch the legendary Rita Moreno in a way they’ve never seen her before. These days, not many movies get a chance to play in theaters, so this is truly an honor. I invite people to come out and share this experience – The Prank has laughs, thrills, twists, and all your favorite comedy stars. Support your local cinema!”

Added Wolfe of Sneak Preview Entertainment: “From their first viewing at last year’s packed Santa Barbara Film Festival screening, the Iconic team showed unparalleled enthusiasm for the film. It’s exciting to work with such a talented group of executives so committed to creating alternative strategies to successfully maneuver through today’s complex theatrical market.”

Nick Royak brokered the deal on behalf of Iconic Events, with UTA Independent Film Group repping the filmmakers.