Unknown Cast & Plot Details Revealed for ‘Project X’

If you’re one of the many people who enjoyed the raunchy 2009 comedy hit, The Hangover, then you may be interested in what director Todd Phillips has up his sleeve for a new film he’s producing (though NOT directing) along with Joel Silver, entitled Project X.

One of the major aims for Project X was to get complete unknowns to headline the film. An open casting call was even held awhile back where anyone could send in audition tapes (although known actors could audition the normal way as well). Today we know which unknown faces will be populating Project X.

Variety reports that the following unknown actors have been cast: Miles Teller, Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Dax Flame, Nichole O’Connor, Thomas Mann and Alexis Knapp.

With the exception of Flame, a known YouTube user, (although he’s still unknown in the movie world), these are all people that are pretty unknown, with only a few credits to their names (most of them upcoming films).

I’m definitely glad they’re using unknowns for Project X. Not that there’s anything wrong with getting big-name actors, but having unknowns – especially for a low-budget comedy like this – means that you can really invest in the characters and the world of the movie, instead of watching Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp playing yet another part.

As the title suggests, details have been scarce about the project, although Phillips said that it was never intended to be this big secret and the name was simply something they slapped on the script until they could figure out what to call it. However, even if secrecy was never the aim, it still appears that Phillips and Co. don’t want people to find out what exactly the new comedy is about until they’re ready to announce (cast members have supposedly been barred from taking the script out of the production office).

What we know so far is that Project X will be some sort of party movie with an “outrageous high concept” unlike other party movies that we’ve seen (supposedly it will be shot in cinéma vérité style – French for “truthful cinema”). It was also reported that we will see the party from the first-person perspective – think the first 15 minutes of Cloverfield.

Now Variety is reporting from insiders that the story, “revolves around a group of kids documenting a house party that suddenly goes awry.” Admittedly that’s just as vague as pretty much everything we’ve heard about this project so far and could be interpreted in many different ways, but I think it’s the best we’re going to get for now.

It certainly sounds to me like Phillips – along with writer Matt Drake and treatment writer Michael Bacall – have found a unique way to tread familiar ground. Phillips is leaving directorial duties to newcomer Nima Nourizadeh, but he’s still attached as a producer so I imagine we’ll still get a lot of his style thrown into the mix.

What do you think of the cast of unknowns found for Project X? What about the new plot details? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this unique comedy in the comments below.

Project X starts shooting next Tuesday and parties its way into theaters on November 23rd, 2011.

Source: Variety

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