Glenn Howerton and Rich Appel Team Up for New Feature Film Co-Starring Meghann Fahy and Natalie Morales

Production is scheduled to begin at the end of June on an untitled upcoming feature film written by Glenn Howerton (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and three-time Emmy winner Rich Appel (Family Guy).

Financed and produced by XYZ Films in association with BuzzFeed Studios, the project features backing from IPR.VC and Vixens, with additional support from the European Union under the InvestEU Fund. XYZ Films is managing global sales, while WME is co-repping domestic rights.

The Plot

The film follows Claire, who abandons her idealized New York City life to relocate to Alabama for her husband Elliot’s (Howerton) dream job. Noticing that Claire is isolated, lonely, and deeply unhappy, Elliot takes matters into his own hands and secretly hires an escort (Meghann Fahy) to masquerade as her new best friend.

Cast and Creative Team

• Meghann Fahy: A two-time Emmy Award nominee, Fahy recently earned acclaim for her roles in HBO’s The White Lotus (winning a SAG Ensemble Award), Netflix’s Sirens opposite Julianne Moore, and the hit limited series The Perfect Couple. Her film credits include Universal/Blumhouse’s Drop and the indie feature Rebuilding. She will next appear in Peacock’s The Good Daughter and the romantic comedy You Deserve Each Other. This project marks her second collaboration with both XYZ Films (following Banquet) and 21 Laps (The Perfect Couple). She is represented by WME and Anonymous Content.
• Glenn Howerton: In addition to co-writing the script and starring as Elliot, Howerton is the co-creator and star of FX’s historic comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He recently earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his performance in BlackBerry (another XYZ Films project) and starred in A.P. Bio and Netflix’s Sirens. He is repped by WME, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern, LLP.
• Natalie Morales: An award-winning actress, writer, and director, Morales is known for her roles in The Beast in Me, The Morning Show, Parks & Rec, and No Hard Feelings. She made her directorial debut in 2021 with Hulu’s Plan B and the SXSW Audience Award winner Language Lessons. She is repped by CAA and Bleecker Street Entertainment.
• Rich Appel: A veteran television writer and producer, Appel serves as co-writer on the film. He has spent the last 14 years acting as co-showrunner and Executive Producer of Fox’s Family Guy.

Production Companies

21 Laps Entertainment

Producers Shawn Levy and Dan Levine are producing for 21 Laps alongside Emily Feher in a producing role. Founded in 2006, 21 Laps has grossed over $5 billion at the global box office. Their recent track record includes Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine—the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history—A24’s horror hit Backrooms, and Netflix’s cultural phenomenon Stranger Things. The company maintains an overall TV deal with Netflix, with an upcoming slate that includes Star Wars: Starfighter starring Ryan Gosling, Universal’s The Catch starring Emma Stone and Chris Pine, and the Netflix feature comedy One Attempt Remaining starring Jennifer Garner and John Cena.

Zoe Knife Productions

Jill Howerton and Glenn Howerton will produce under their newly founded Zoe Knife Productions banner alongside partner Josh Kunau. The company focuses on developing scripted content that blends narrative depth with mainstream appeal. While the company has multiple projects in development, this film marks the official maiden production for the banner.

XYZ Films

Guy Danella and Nick Spicer are producing for XYZ Films, with Maxime Cottray, Aram Tertzakian, and John Straley serving as Executive Producers. Founded in 2008, the independent studio’s recent portfolio includes IFC’s Over Your Dead Body starring Jason Segel, Lionsgate’s upcoming action title The Furious, Gareth Evans’ Havoc starring Tom Hardy, and the thriller Hallow Road starring Rosamund Pike.

BuzzFeed Studios

Richard Alan Reid will produce for BuzzFeed Studios. The studio produces and distributes genre-spanning content across social, digital, streaming, and theatrical platforms. Its portfolio includes globally recognized digital properties such as Tasty, BuzzFeed Unsolved, Cocoa Butter, and Pero Like.

Additional executive producers on the film include Andrea Scarso, Timo Argillander, R. Wesley Sierk, Gary Farkas, Clement Lepoutre, Olivier Muller, and Bertrand Perrodo.