EXCLUSIVE: Joel McHale (Animal Control) and Paula Patton (Sacrifice) are set to star alongside Yonas Kibreab, the lead of Pixar’s forthcoming Elio, in Reimagined, a musical feature marking the directorial debut of composer Mateo Messina (Juno).
An adaptation of the original symphony The Pageant by Jeff Witzke, who penned the script with Messina, the film follows Felix McCoy (Kibreab), a young boy grappling with the loss of his mother, Mary (Patton), the beloved creator of the town’s annual holiday pageant. When the production is taken over and rebranded into a shallow spectacle by cocksure director, Hamilton Lydell (McHale), Felix secretly sabotages the event, only to realize that saving the show might be the only way to keep his late mother’s spirit alive.
Currently shooting on location in the Hudson Valley, New York, the film also stars Cress Williams (Black Lightning), Josh Holloway (Duster), Kate Micucci (Dog Man), Jade Catta-Preta (Future Man), Aaron David Harris (Matlock), Savannah Dahan (Kids Bop), Jeff Witzke (Saturday Night), and Scott Hoying (of a cappella group the Pentatonix).
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Robert Graf (No Country for Old Men), Gabriel Roth (Drugstore June), Chris Bongirne (Marshall), and Pete Muller are the producers.
Reflecting on the process of making Reimagined, Messina told Deadline, “It’s been fascinating to create a story completely from a musical perspective. The exciting challenge has been every element of the score will be seen on the screen. This is a musical film, just not in the traditional sense.”
Best known for starring in NBC’s cult hit comedy Community, which will soon be getting a long-teased film continuation, McHale has made memorable recent appearances on Yellowjackets and The Bear and headlines Fox’s sitcom Animal Control, which returned returned earlier this year for its third season. Upcoming, he’s also set to star in Scream 7. He’s represented by UTA and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
Over the years, Patton has been seen in numerous films, including The Do-Over, About Last Night, 2 Guns, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, and Precious, to name just a few. She’s represented by Gersh and MPE.
Messina is a Grammy winner who has scored over 50 features, shorts and documentaries, plus nearly 300 episodes of television. Notable credits include Juno, Blockers, The Wrong Missy, and Tall Girl. He’s represented by The Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency.
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