On Aug. 24, “Superbad” fans can experience a rare live reading of the cult comedy, reimagined with a cast of immigrants and children of immigrants including Hasan Minhaj, Cobie Smulders, Melissa Fumero and Harvey Guillén.
The free event will stream live on the official website for Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef), a social justice law firm that has been at the forefront of the response to ongoing ICE raids largely targeting Southern California‘s Latino residents.
The reading will be directed by Marvin Lemus (“Gentefied”) and produced alongside Gloria Calderón Kellett (“One Day at a Time”), who hope the one-of-a-kind reading will help raise money for ImmDef’s Bond Fund and bring a sense of levity to a community grief-stricken by the ongoing detentions and deportations.
“We want to give people joy. So much of what’s in our feeds right now is sadness and fear,” says Calderón Kellett. “Marvin and I are both children of immigrants, and this is our way of saying: You’re seen, you’re valued, and you’re not alone.”
The idea to do a live reading fundraiser was first sparked by Linda Yvette Chavez, who initially suggested to Lemus that they do a table read of their 2020 Netflix show “Gentefied,” a show that explores changing neighborhood demographics and complex themes including family separation.
But rather than harp on traumatic themes that parallel current immigration events, Lemus suggested “Superbad,” a raunchy comedy film that always boosts his spirit.
“This year has been difficult, to say the least,” says Lemus. “So the thought of putting together a crazy read of this classic comedy felt like it would be a fun way to raise funds for our community in need.”
Friends and colleagues of the duo quickly jumped in to lend their support, including casting director Tawny Dicce (“The Goldbergs”). “The whole thing came together, grassroots-style — friends calling friends,” says Calderón Kellett.
She adds that the live reading notably got a blessing from writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, as well as producer Judd Apatow.
“They were incredibly supportive. We’re so grateful,” says Calderón Kellett. “Seth has said before how much he values the taste of young Latino audiences for his films, so we had a feeling he’d get it — and he did.”
More surprise guests will be announced soon. There will be no record or replay of the event, per SAG-AFTRA rules, so viewers have the opportunity to catch this one time only on Sunday, Aug. 24, at 2 p.m. PT.
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