Lucy Hale & Robbie Amell To Star In Rom-Com ‘The Hating Game’ Adapted From Hit Novel, Mister Smith Boards
EXCLUSIVE: Pretty Little Liars and Truth Or Dare actress Lucy Hale will star with When We First Met and The Flash actor Robbie Amell in rom-com movie The Hating Game, based on the hit novel by Sally Thorne.
The 2018 USA Today bestseller, published in more than 20 countries, tells the story of kind-hearted Lucy Hutton (Hale) and her cold, efficient nemesis Joshua Templeton (Amell). Resolving to achieve professional success without compromising her ethics, Lucy embarks on a ruthless game of one-upmanship against Josh, a rivalry that is impossibly complicated by her growing attraction to him.
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Peter Hutchings (Then Came You) will direct Christina Mengert’s adaptation. Claude Dal Farra, Brice Dal Farra, and Brian Keady of BCDF Pictures are producers. Mister Smith Entertainment is co-financing the film and will handle sales.
Mister Smith’s David Garrett stated, “The Hating Game is a gloriously funny and sexy rom-com with a broad audience appeal. We are aiming for films with a clear target demographic and this absolutely hits the spot.”
Hale will next have the lead role in the Riverdale spinoff series Katy Keene. Additional upcoming projects include features Fantasy Island, Big Gold Brick and Son Of The South. 2018 horror movie Truth Or Dare made close to $100M off a sub $5M budget.
Amell’s previous credits include lead roles in features The Duff, When We First Met and The Baby Sitter. He led cast in the CW-Greg Berlanti series The Tomorrow People and had regular roles in FX’s The X-Files reboot and The Flash. Upcoming are movie Code 8, Amazon series Upload and Netflix feature Desperados.
Hutchings just finished directing his third feature, Then Came You, the teen drama/comedy starring Asa Butterfield, Maisie Williams, and Nina Dobrev. As a screenwriter, he has collaborated with BCDF Pictures on several book adaptations, including the upcoming The Language Of Flowers, which spent 69 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and stars Kiersey Clemons and Nick Robinson, and Can You Keep A Secret? which filmed this past fall with Alexandra Daddario starring.
Mister Smith’s current slate includes Terrence Malick’s Cannes Competition title A Hidden Life, Max Minghella’s directorial debut Teen Spirit starring Elle Fanning; Grant Sputore’s I Am Mother starring Hilary Swank, Rose Byrne and Clara Rugaard; and George Nolfi’s The Banker, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie, Nicholas Hoult and Nia Long.
Hale is repped by ICM Partners and Reel Talent Management. Amell is repped by WME, Protégé Entertainment, Strategic and Felker ToczekSuddleson Abramson. Thorne is repped by Gersh and Root Literary. BCDF is repped by Sheri Jeffrey at Hogan Lovells.
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