EXCLUSIVE: Abby Ryder Fortson, who starred as Margaret in 2023’s Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, and as a young Cassie in Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), will star in the independently financed feature dramedy, Rated, directed by John Fortson.
Based on his award-winning short film of the same name, Rated the short, quickly captivated the festival circuit, earning rave reviews and 23 awards from over 60 festivals worldwide including Palm Springs Shortfest, Savannah International, Short Shorts Japan, Asthetica UK, Cleveland International, and Rhode Island International.
Rated also stars Christie Lynn Smith (The Other Zoey, The Crazies), who co-wrote the script with Fortson, Dale Dickey (Hell or High Water, Fallout), Spencer Garrett (HBO’s Winning Time, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood) and Darryl Cox (Minari, Twisters).
Jacob Ryan Snovel (Agnes), Kyle Kauwika Harris (The Huntsman) from SafeHouse Films are producing alongside Smith and Fortson under their new production company Loose Leaf Films, as well as acclaimed filmmaker Mark Pellington (Arlington Road, upcoming thriller: Lone Wolf, starring Bryan Cranston and Lily Gladstone for Ted Hope and Christine Vachon of Killer Films). Executive Producers are Nicholas Clement, Jay R. Wolfberg, Jeremy Cohen, Dinu John, Damian K. Lahey, Jim Staples and Karl Kawano.
The story follows Maggie (played by Christie Lynn Smith), an overwhelmed mother of two at crossroads in her life who must find the courage to own up to her behavior when she wakes up to find everyone in the world has been Rated with stars floating over their heads. While most adults, including her husband (played by John Fortson) have a shining four or five stars, Maggie’s got just 2.5! Maggie finds navigating this new world dominated by ratings to be challenging as everyone comes under scrutiny from peers, family, and friends. With encouragement from her daughter, Hannah (played by Abby Ryder Fortson), Maggie embarks on a journey of self-discovery, ultimately learning to love herself and to treat those around her with greater kindness.
“After the reception our short film received from audiences around the world and is still receiving, it felt only natural to dive deeper into Maggie’s journey back to self through the concept of the film and create a larger story with an even more impactful message about our humanity, especially in today’s world,” John Fortson said. This film marks Fortson’s feature directorial debut, building upon the thought-provoking question of “What if we, in all of our flawed, mistake-making humanity, were Rated?”
Other recent credits for Fortson include Max’s The Pitt.
Abby Ryder Fortson is represented by WME, Atlas Artists, and Yorn Levine. Christie Lynn Smith is represented by AMT Artists, Atlas Artists, and Yorn Levine. Dale Dickey is represented by BRS/Gage Talent Agency. Spencer Garrett is repped by Luber Rocklin Entertainment and Paradigm. John Fortson is repped by the law firm Yorn Levine.
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