Theater Camp To Bring Comedy To The Big Screen
Jul 7, 2023
THEATER CAMP opens July 14th
Over the years, we’ve been treated to all kinds of movies set in summer camps, with titles like THE PARENT TRAP, MEATBALLS, and WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER quickly coming to mind. This summer, moviegoers will get to see another release added to that list with Molly Gordon and Nick LIeberman’s THEATER CAMP. This upcoming musical comedy with some of the brightest names in comedy and theatre will likely scratch the itch for those who like camp movies, tales about people trying to save something close to their hearts and comedies in general.
But, before you pack your backpack and load up your canteen fund, you will probably want to know what you can expect when THEATER CAMP opens this July at AMC Theatres locations nationwide. That being said, here are a few things we know about the comedy event of the summer.
One thing we often see in summer camp comedies is an attempt to save the beloved staple of campers and counselors’ lives after some person or group comes in with a plan to radically change the camp’s personality or do away with it entirely. It sounds like THEATER CAMP will fall into that, well, camp, as Searchlight Pictures has announced that the upcoming comedy will follow the staff and young actors and singers at an upstate New York theater camp as they try to save their home away from home from the clueless son of the camp’s founder, before he can damage it beyond repair.
Just so you know, THEATER CAMP will feature a full-on musical before the end credits begin to roll, which is great news for anyone who looks forward to checking out movies with medleys of songs performed by large ensemble casts consisting of child actors and well-known talents.
Ben Platt, whose performance as the titular character in the Broadway production of DEAR EVAN HANSEN earned him Tony®, Emmy®, and Grammy® awards several years ago, is front and center in the film. Taking on the role of Amos Klobucher, Platt plays one of the numerous teachers at the camp who’s tasked with getting the young campers in tip-top shape for a musical production that could be the saving grace they all need. He isn’t alone, however.
Also a part of THEATER CAMP is Molly Gordon, who takes on the role of Rebecca-Diane, another deeply devoted member of the staff who takes it upon herself to put together a show that will be remembered for ages. Gordon is joined by Jimmy Tatro as the camp’s new manager, Troy Rubinksy, Noah Galvin is production manager Glenn Winthrop, and several other notable stars like Patti Harrison, Nathan Lee Graham and Ayo Edebiri make up other members of the staff.
In addition to starring in THEATER CAMP, Molly Gordon also serves as one of the co-directors alongside Nick Lieberman, who are both helming their first feature length film. The pair also wrote the upcoming comedy with Gordon’s co-stars, Ben Platt and Noah Galvin.
If the title and basic premise sound familiar, it could have something to do with the fact that the 2023 comedy is an adaptation and expansion of a 2020 short film of the same name. Like the new theatrical release, the short was also written by the movie’s core creative team and featured several of its major stars.
The short comedy film was a parody of the performing arts that poked fun at the teachers, exercises and successful productions in the world of performance arts. Though the actors play different characters this time around, footage from the feature length adaptation makes it appear as if their roles are in the same vein as the 2020 original.
In May 2023, a little less than two months before the movie’s release date, Searchlight Pictures gave audiences their first look at THEATER CAMP in the form of a two-minute trailer. This hectic and hilarious first look at Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman’s directorial debuts introduces you to all the major characters, teases several of the movie’s various productions, and showcases the satirical tone of the upcoming comedy. Check it out for yourself below:
Though this is a movie that will very much be enjoyed by those with a history in the performing arts, THEATER CAMP, at least based on the trailer, seems to also be something geared towards all audiences, with Jimmy Tatro’s Troy Rubinksy being the proxy for the uninitiated in the audience. This is highlighted in a short clip in which Troy tries to get a grasp on various theater terms.
It will be fun to see what the cast and crew of THEATER CAMP have in store for us when the movie opens in AMC Theatres locations nationwide this summer!
THEATER CAMP opens July 14th
