Jillian Bell Sets Stacked Cast for Her Directorial Debut With Hulu Comedy Summer of 69

The Big Picture

• Jillian Bell will make her directorial debut with Hulu comedy Summer of 69 .
• Chloe Fineman will lead the film with a star-studded ensemble cast.
• The film follows a socially awkward high school senior's quest for love and friendship.

After almost a decade in front of the camera, actress and comedian Jillian Bell is officially getting behind the camera. The Brittany Runs a Marathon star will be making her directorial debut with the Hulu comedy Summer of 69, according to Deadline. The upcoming project’s cast will be led by none other than Saturday Night Live’s Chloe Fineman, for whom this will mark her seventh role in a feature film.

Summer of 69 is set to be produced by American High, a 2017-founded production company that specializes in making provocative teen comedies for a modern audience. This project will be a direct result of American High’s first-look output deal with Hulu Originals, a partnership that has already generated popular films such as Natalie Morales’s Plan B and the Rowan Blanchard-led Crush.

Besides Chloe Fineman, Summer of 69’s cast will boast a wide-ranging palette of comedic talent including It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Charlie Day, That ’90s Show’s Sam Morales, Saturday Night Live’s Alex Moffat, Nailed It!’s Nicole Byer, Girls5eva’s Paula Pell, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’s Matt Cornett, Plan B director Natalie Morales, and media personality Liza Koshy. The film’s screenwriting team currently consists of Liz Nico, Jules Bryne, and director Bell herself. While Summer of 69 is scheduled to begin production in Syracuse sometime this month, any release date for the movie has yet to be set in stone.

What Will ‘Summer of 69’ Be About?

It seems as though Summer of 69 will follow in the same outrageously funny vein as so many teen comedies before it. The film will center on a socially awkward high school senior who is determined to attract the attention of her crush before they both graduate. The protagonist’s aspirations take a slight left turn when she hires an exotic dancer to help her with her plans, paving the path for a charming story of self-acceptance, growing up, and unexpected friendship.

While Summer of 69 will be a first for director Jillian Bell, the longtime actress seems more than ready to take on this challenge — and to use her honed comedic chops to create something exciting and meaningful. “It’s always been my dream to direct,” said Bell in a statement. “And I am thrilled to be telling a story about female friendship with a cast of the most talented and funny humans.”

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on Summer of 69 and any other notable directorial debuts. Plan B on Hulu right now.

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