Ashley Park, Leighton Meester, and Taylor John Smith have landed lead roles in Basic, an upcoming indie comedy marking the feature debut of writer-director Chelsea Devantez, Deadline reports exclusively. The film is based on Devantez’s 2020 short of the same name, which was a SXSW official selection and won Best Comedy at the HollyShorts Film Festival.
The story centers on Gloria (Park) and Nick (Smith), a couple navigating the fallout from a difficult breakup. According to the plot, “After Gloria and Nick’s painful breakup, Gloria spirals through his dating history and discovers Kaylinn (Meester), his hottest and most basic ex-girlfriend, who has stolen both her boyfriend and threatens to take her entire story.”
In addition to the leads, the cast also includes Ashley Nicole Black, Kandy Muse, Nelson Franklin, Kenzie Elizabeth, and Kate Linder. The film is produced by Marc Platt Productions (Wicked: For Good, How to Train Your Dragon), BuzzFeed Studios (Puppy Love, Fall), Fortitude International (My Penguin Friend, Backspot), Caliwood Pictures (Goodrich, Killing Castro), and 100 Zeros.
Producer Marc Platt praised Devantez’s work, telling Deadline, “Chelsea is a singular creative force—sharply funny, fearless, and full of heart. Her vision brilliantly captures how we engage with, judge ourselves and others, and are consumed by social media. With our stellar cast—Ashley Park, Leighton Meester, and Taylor John Smith—she’s created a sharply human, character-driven story that’s as hilarious as it is timely.”
While no release date has been announced, Basic is expected to move into production soon, with additional casting likely to follow in the coming months.
