Awkwafina, Anthony Ramos, and Ken Jeong Star in Dark Comedy ‘Kaet Might Die’ at Cannes Market
EXCLUSIVE: Capture Entertainment will launch international sales at the Cannes Film Festival for its dark comedy, Kaet Might Die, adapted from Kaet McAnneny’s cancer memoir, Boobs Gone Rogue.
Filming on the project has concluded, featuring a cast that includes Golden Globe and Emmy winner Awkwafina (The Farewell), Grammy winner Anthony Ramos (In The Heights), and The Hangover star Ken Jeong. This film reunites Awkwafina and Jeong from Crazy Rich Asians, portraying a father and daughter.
Helmed by director Mercedes Bryce Morgan, the screenplay is adapted by Angela Gulner and Yuri Baranovsky. The narrative follows the true story of a woman (played by Awkwafina) whose life is flipped upside down by a cancer diagnosis, compelling her to find humor and creativity amid a collapsing marriage and a demanding family.
Capture Entertainment is co-representing domestic sales in partnership with CAA. The film is produced by Balcony 9 Productions (Dead Man’s Wire), Whitewater Films (Mean Creek), Invention Studios (Severance), Fever Dream Studios (Appendage), and Toric Films (Oscar Shaw). The production team includes Joel David Moore, Katrina Kudlick, Rick Rosenthal, Nicholas Weinstock, Sarah Cornelius, Ojan Missaghi, David Wachs, and Chase Hinton.
Director Morgan emphasized the film’s unique approach, stating, “This amazing script is based on a real story, but expressed through a lens that’s darkly funny, heightened, and wildly surreal. Sometimes, when things are dark, the best response is to find a way to still laugh through it all. Awkwafina navigates that tonal tightrope in a way very few actors can, and building a cast around her that could match that energy was incredibly important to me.”
Producer Moore also shared his thoughts, saying, “When Kaet first brought me her memoir, I thought her fearless and hilarious take on the worst moments of her life would resonate with audiences everywhere. But Mercedes and the team have brought that vision to life in ways beyond my wildest imagination, led by Awkwafina in a career-defining performance.”
Awkwafina and McAnneny will serve as executive producers alongside Rishi Bajaj, Vinny Smith, Daniel Taborga, Jarod Einsohn, Richard Lunam, Eric Gozlan, JB Yowell, Raymond Merrill, Lee Broda, Jeff Rice, Ryan Chismark, Chelsea Chismark, Amber Gibson, Mark Kline, Charlie Honea, and Morgan.
Arlie Day and Mike Page are co-producers and casting directors. Additional executive producers include Michael Thomas, Lynette Gurule-Thomas, James Cullen Bressick, Andrew Asheroft, Ana Paczynska, Marsha Lunam, Sharon Azrieli, Natalie Kline, Carmelo Chimera, Syed Ali Saeed, Natasha Yi, Brando Eaton, Richie Wells, Michael Landon, Michael Bassick, Pierre Romain, and Julie Solinger.
The casting news was first reported six weeks ago by TheInSneider.
Awkwafina is represented by CAA, Artists First, and Schreck, Rose Dapello, Adams, Berlin & Dunham; Ramos is represented by CAA, Range Media Partners, and Paul Hastings; Jeong is repped by IAG, Untitled Entertainment, and attorney Chad Christopher; Morgan is represented by UTA, Navigation Media Group, and Bloch Law. Gulner is repped by Fictional Entity and Yorn, Levine; Baranovsky is represented by Principal Entertainment LA and Yorn, Levine; McAnneny is represented by Gersh and Wizzo and Co.
