Drake & Josh star Josh Peck has been getting a lot of attention for his work on the coming-of-age film, The Wackness. The movie received mostly rave reviews, and was the recipient of the Audience Award for drama at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
However, this is not the first time Peck, who plays one of the title characters on Drake & Josh, has been part of a critically-praised film, nor of a movie that’s been featured in the prestigious film festival. In 2006, he co-starred alongside The War at Home actor Michael Rapaport in the comedy Special. Reception was generally positive for the movie, and it hit theaters in the UK the same year. However, it hasn’t been widely released in North America as it has been unable to secure a distributor – until now, that is.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, has acquired the North American rights to Special, which revolves around comic book-obsessed meter maid (Rapaport) who enters a clinical trial for a new drug that inhibits self-doubt. He soon becomes delusional, believing that he is a superhero, and finds himself in the middle of some misadventures. Josh Peck plays one of his friends while Paul Blackthorne plays a drug company executive. The movie serves as the feature writing-directing debut of Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore.
Magnet is planning a late-summer release for the film.
Fans of Josh Peck might also be seeing The Wackness in cinemas soon, as Sony Pictures Classic (SPC) bought the North American rights to the movie for under $2 million, according to Variety. The movie stars the Drake & Josh actor as a drug-dealing teen who trades therapy sessions for pot. Other cast members include Academy Award-winner Ben Kingsley and former child actress Mary Kate Olsen (Weeds). SPC, however, has yet to announce a theatrical release date for the film.
-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Hollywood Reporter, Variety
(Image Courtesy of specialthemovie.com)
Staff Columnist, BuddyTV
