Charli D’Amelio, Social Media’s Biggest Star, To Star in Ryan Kavanaugh’s Proxima Media New Film Franchise ‘Home School’
Home School, the first in an eight-film franchise of supernatural thrillers starring two-time Kids Choice Award winner Charli D'Amelio, will be produced by EGOT nominee (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) Ryan Kavanaugh-directed by F. Javier Gutierrez.
Kavanaugh has brought more than 200 feature films, and 40 TV shows to audiences worldwide, and this will be the second film to list on the entertainment stock exchange, esx.io.
Award-winning visionary horror film director F. Javier Gutiérrez (Before the Fall, Rings) has come on board to direct. Home School marks the live-action feature film debut of D'Amelio, the first TikTokker to accrue 100 million followers on the platform. Production is set to begin July 2022.
Charli shot to global fame on TikTok after posting dance videos in 2019. Since exploding on the app, Charli has parlayed her success into other ventures. She appeared in a 2020 Super Bowl ad for Sabra Hummus and danced in a Jennifer Lopez music video. In September of last year, Hulu launched The D'Amelio Show docuseries, starring Charli and her family, which has already been picked up for a second season. Charli co-created her own clothing line Social Tourist and has worked with major fashion brands, including Louis Vuitton and Prada. Charli was also the youngest star to appear on Time Magazine's NEXT list.
In Home School, Charli will play 'Mira,' a 17-year-old who moves to a different town to live with her aunt after her mother passes away. After arriving in what seems like the all-too-perfect town, Mira soon discovers that her mother's death and her own future are intertwined supernaturally.
"As soon as I read Home School, I knew it was for me. I connected with the character, Mira, the story, the script, and the team. I knew if I was going to do a movie, it needed to be something fun, edgy, and fresh," Charli says. "While the role will certainly be challenging and push me to learn to act and become Mira, it's a fun ride and meant to be fun to make and fun to watch. I also wanted to make sure I surrounded myself with a great team."
"When Ryan and I met while developing The Crow remake with Luke Evans, we knew we wanted to foster a creative partnership further. I'm thrilled for Home School to mark our first official project together," explains director F. Javier Gutiérrez. "With its compelling visuals and a strong psychological element, I think Home School has the potential to be a modern classic. I can't wait to work alongside Charli and the Proxima team."
Gutiérrez, a two-time nominee for the best European Fantastic Film award, shot to movie fame with his horror film, Rings, the third installment of The Ring franchise, that opened #2 at the U.S. box office and was praised by Koji Suzuki, author of The Ring novels. His short Brasil, won top honors and numerous awards, including winning the Universal Studios Film Master Award for Best European Director. After its North American premiere at AFI Fest, the film came to the attention of the U.S. industry, landing #3 on the Hollywood International Watchlist. That same year, Before the Fall got an offer for a remake from the late legendary filmmaker Wes Craven. Early in his career, Gutiérrez established himself as a horror filmmaker to watch when his first short film, Brasil, which he directed, wrote, and produced in 2002, also won the Sitges Film Festival, one of the world's foremost international festivals, specializing in fantasy and horror.
"We've been developing this project for a few years to bring something new and exciting to the screen," says Ryan Kavanaugh. "Having Javier direct and Charli star is the perfect package. We are going for 'The Sixth Sense' meets 'Get Out,'" said Kavanaugh.
Home School is written by Casey Giltner, a Minneapolis-based screenwriter whose script On the First Day of Christmas was featured on the 2021 BloodList and was recently picked up by Village Roadshow and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. SVP of Production at Proxima, Daniel Herther, who shepherded the development of Home School, will be producing as well. Kavanaugh's partner Bobby Sarnavesht and Marc, Heidi, and Dixie D'Amelio will serve as executive producers.
Charli D'Amelio is repped by UTA's Steve Cohen and Kevin Yorn of Morris, Yorn, Barnes, Levine, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner, Endlich & Gellman. Proxima and Kavanaugh are repped by Neil Sacker of Sacker Entertainment Law. F. Javier Gutiérrez is represented by UTA's Michael Sheresky and Nick Shumaker of Anonymous Content. Stephen Clark of Lichter Grossman Nichols Adler Feldman & Clark negotiated the deal on behalf of F. Javier Gutiérrez.
