Laura Chinn‘s feature directorial debut Suncoast has added more names to its already star-studded cast. On board to bolster previously announced Laura Linney, Woody Harrelson, and Nico Parker are Ella Anderson, Daniella Perkins, Amarr, and Ariel Martin. The news comes as production kicked off this month on the project which is being overseen by Searchlight Pictures.
The roles for the new cast members are being kept under wraps, however, considering that Suncoast will center on a teenager (played by Parker), it is likely that the new additions will be somehow connected to the lead. Per the plot, Parker‘s character must navigate everyday life under the watch of her strong-willed mother. She is soon given the responsibility of taking her younger brother to a specialized facility where she encounters an eccentric activist who is at the forefront of an ongoing protest connected with a landmark medical case. Linney plays Parker’s mom while Harrelson will play the activist.
Just like Chinn‘s short-lived Pop TV comedy, Florida Girls, Suncoast will be based on her real-life experiences. Chinn previously detailed her eventful childhood, upbringing, and experiences in her recently released memoir, Acne which chronicles her bout with skin issues from the young age of 10 and the trauma that came with it. Given the extensive details from the memoir, it is likely that Suncoast might not be the last movie we get from her life experiences. Should she decide to make more features, there’s simply plenty of material to work with. Chinn‘s script for Suncoast made it to the 2020 Black List, a survey that examines the best un-produced scripts, thus we can expect a fun experience with the movie.
Anderson is best known for her role as Piper Hart in Nickelodeon‘s TV series, Henry Danger, for which she earned two Kid’s Choice nominations. She played Rachel Rawlings in the adventure The Boss (2016) alongside Melissa McCarthy. Perkins is also a Nickelodeon alum who rose to fame with Knight Squad; additionally, her role as Kiela on Grown-ish was recently upped to main status. Amarr has several Young Entertainer nods to his name for his role in American Housewife, Bunk’d, and Liv and Maddie. Some of his recent credits include the Netflix miniseries Colin in Black & White, CW’s 4400, and Holiday Rush. Martin, aka Baby Ariel, is a Time and Forbes-recognized social media influencer who’s extending her empire to acting. She appeared opposite Ryan Destiny in the thriller Oracle.
Suncoast is produced by Jeremy Plager, Francesca Silvestri, Kevin Chinoy, and Oly Obst. Executive producers include Chris Stinson and Amy Greene as well as Anna Schwartz on board as co-producer. Filming for Suncoast is underway in Charleston, South Carolina with Chinn in the director’s seat. A release date is yet to be set for the upcoming teenage drama.
via Collider