Around four weeks ago, it was announced that Ariana Greenblatt of Barbie, 65, and Borderlands, Billy Magnussen of No Time to Die, Road House, and The Franchise, and Ella Purnell of Fallout, Yellowjackets, and Army of the Dead had signed on to star in the “riotous” comedy thriller Hot Ted, which will mark the feature directorial debut of Saturday Night Live segment director Hannah Levy. At the time, Levy said the project is “a psychosexual thriller as imagined by virgins. Mean Girls meets American Psycho.” Now, Magnussen has shared another description, calling Hot Ted a fun, scary, female version of Superbad.
Scripted by Grace McLeod, Hot Ted has the following synopsis: When 16-year-old true-crime podcast enthusiast Zoe’s (Greenblatt) parents send her to Camp Shady Pines for the summer against her will, she’s the immediate black sheep of the Beaver Cabin. The summer takes a turn when their bunk counselor Liz doesn’t arrive for breakfast one morning, and Zoe’s counselor crush Amy (Purnell) tells everyone Liz had to leave for a “family emergency.” But Zoe doesn’t buy it – and is convinced that hunky counselor Ted (Magnussen) is behind Liz’s disappearance. Ted’s got all the hallmarks of a classic serial killer: he’s not on social media, he owns a van, and he’s a little too nice to everyone. But is Ted a murderer, or is he just hot as hell? It’s up to Zoe and the Beavers to investigate the truth: is Hot Ted really a serial killer or is he just, like… the perfect guy?
Magnussen is producing the film alongside Shane Andries and Anne Hollister for HappyBad Bungalow, as well as Javier Chapa and Phillip Braun of Mucho Mas and Purnell. Morgan Cano-Long and Robert Muñoz serve as executive producers for Mucho Mas. Protagonist’s Dave Bishop, James Pugh, and George Hamilton are also executive producing.
Speaking with Collider, Magnussen said, “This is a female version of Superbad. Every good film has a good premise that’s an easy understanding. This is about young girls realizing people in their lives that they thought were safe can be dangerous, and that’s terrifying. Someone I believed has always been safe is actually terrifying, and Hot Ted is about that. They can’t decide whether the camp counselor is awesome or if he’s a serial killer. But it’s scary! But again, it’s fun. It’s young girls getting into their womanhood.“
Does Hot Ted sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on this “female Superbad” comedy thriller by leaving a comment below.
