EXCLUSIVE: Comedian Stavros Halkias is set to lead road-movie comedy Exit Statement from genre outfit Queensbury Pictures.
The feature, currently in development, will be directed by Ben Kitnick, adapted from his short film of the same name. It is co-written by Kitnick (who recently made his feature debut with documentary The Beanie Bubble)”, Halkias and co-star Wes Haney (Netflix Presents: The Characters).
Additional casting is underway for the film, which is scheduled to shoot in Chicago next summer.
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Exit Statement is a dark comedy about a doomsday cult. After being excluded from a long-awaited mass suicide, obnoxious cult member Chip (Halkias) returns home, only to remember why he left his disapproving family in the first place. When he discovers his charismatic former cult leader William (Haney) may still be alive, Chip tracks him down and presents William with an ultimatum: either go to prison for his crimes, or help Chip start a new cult, this time as co-leaders. Their uneasy partnership is put to the test as the two hit the road and gain new followers including a good-hearted Army reject, a loose cannon mom in the throes of a custody battle, a retired female pro wrestler and a nursing home escapee with a death wish.
Stand-up Halkias first gained attention on podcast Cum Town, where he was a founding co-host from 2016 to 2022. His first special, Stavros Halkias: Live at the Lodge Room, has amassed over four million views on YouTube since its release in June and he currently hosts the Stavvy’s World podcast which debuted at #3 on the iTunes comedy charts.
Queensbury Pictures’ credits to date have included Broadcast Signal Intrusion with Harry Shum Jr and Kelley Mack and Girl On The Third Floor with CM Punk.
Kitnick said: “If you had asked childhood me to describe the dream film I wanted to make one day, I would have had two words: suicide cult. I couldn’t be more thrilled to tell this absurd story with an incredible team.”
Greg Newman from Queensbury Pictures said: ”Stavros Halkias is one of the most original voices in stand up comedy today. He’s a multifaceted performer who is as compelling on screen as he is on stage. We’re thrilled to be working with the brilliant team of Ben, Stavros and Wes on this joy ride of a project.”
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