Kay Cannon is having quite the year. Since April, the “Pitch Perfect” screenwriter and “Blockers” helmer has signed on to direct three feature films: a reimagining of “Cinderella,” treasure-hunt comedy “79ers,” and a biopic about legendary improv teachers Charna Halpern and Del Close. As Deadline reported, the latter, “Del & Charna,” will trace Halpern and Close’s 19-year partnership.
Halpern and the late Close established Chicago’s ImprovOlympic (now known as the IO), “a prestigious comedy training ground for ‘Saturday Night Live’ players and scribes, as well as the New York and Hollywood showbiz scene.” Cannon is an IO alumna, as are Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, Cecily Strong, and Vanessa Bayer.
Close taught icons such as Gilda Radner at Chicago’s Second City, but by 1981 he was chafing against the establishment’s improv-as-performance-art philosophy. Halpern suggested he teach his “radical long-form improv ‘The Harold'” at a new underground theater, the ImprovOlympic. The rest is history.
“Del & Charna” portrays the protagonists as “friends, saviors, and soulmates.” The source synopsizes, “the duo helped each other overcome his addiction, financial ruin, and their own personal demons to ultimately establish improv as an art form. As such A-list talent were cutting their teeth at IO, it wasn’t unheard for Halpern to put a roof over their head, feed them, and coach them through bad patches.”
Halpern described her relationship with Close as “always funny, sometimes scary, and extremely profound.” She still owns, runs, and teaches at the theater. Close passed away in 1999.
Cannon and Laverne McKinnon will produce “Del & Charna” via their K&L Productions. Also producing are Red Crown’s Daniel Crown and Yoni Liebling. K&L’s Irene Marquette will serve as exec producer.
“We are thrilled to bring the story of Del Close and Charna Halpern, two comedic icons, to the screen and explore how their evolving relationship impacted the history of comedy and influenced future performers,” Crown stated. “We look forward to partnering with Kay Cannon, whose comedic filmmaking has brought the genre to new heights.”
Cannon and McKinnon added, “Improv has been such an instrumental part of our lives that we’re incredibly honored to tell this special, unique story with the blessing of Charna Halpern.”
“Cinderella,” a modern musical update of the classic fairy tale starring Camila Cabello, is scheduled to open February 5, 2021. Cannon made her directorial debut last year with “Blockers,” a prom night comedy about parents trying to prevent their teen daughters from having sex. A three-time Emmy nominee, Cannon launched her career as a writer on “30 Rock.” “New Girl,” “Cristela,” and “Girlboss” are among her other TV writing credits. She penned the screenplay for 2012 box office smash “Pitch Perfect,” and went on to write the second and third installments of the aca-franchise.
