EXCLUSIVE: Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows) has been cast in the Catherine Hardwicke-directed drama feature Street Smart.
The project heralds Hardwicke’s return to her storytelling roots in Lords of Dogtown and Thirteen, while revisiting her exploration of found family dynamics in Twilight. She co-wrote the film with New York Times best-selling author and screenwriter Nic Sheff (13 Reasons Why).
Hardwicke and producers Natalie Marciano (Freud’s Last Session, How to Build a Truth Engine) and Jamie R. Thompson (97 Minutes, Old Henry) began principal photography on Street Smart on January 27 in Los Angeles.
Street Smart offers a gripping look into the lives of a lively group of unhoused young adults in the iconic beach town of Venice, California. They come together with humor and a bit of Robin Hood style larceny, forging unbreakable bonds and redefining what it means to be a family.
Guillén joins the previously announced cast of Isabelle Fuhrman, Yara Shahidi, Michael Cimino, Daniel Zovatto, Kaitlyn Kemp, Miles McKenna, and pro skateboarder Isiah Hilt.
“Street Smart brilliantly captures the essence of the vibrant Venice lifestyle, offering authentic portrayals of indie musicians busking on the boardwalk, the local skate culture, and a compelling blend of the raw energy reminiscent of Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown,” shared Thompson.
Hardwicke reunites with the cinematographer of all three films, Elliott Davis, who also shot Out of Sight, the Iron Lady, and Hocus Pocus 2. Costume designer Mona May (Clueless, Enchanted), and music supervisor and KCRW host Chris Douridas (American Beauty, Shrek II) have also joined the production.
The filmmaking team behind Street Smart supports Covenant House and Safe Place for Youth, both organizations that assist unhoused and at-risk young individuals. Marciano noted their support of these two organizations is “to assist more young individuals in escaping life on the streets” by focusing on “cultivating awareness and empathy for this critical issue through the transformative power of art.”
The film is produced by Poster Child Pictures’ Marciano, New Dimensions’ Thompson, and Hardwicke. Executive producers include Gerard Butler & Alan Siegel of G-BASE, Jamie Marshall (Den of Thieves, The Foreigner), Isabelle Furhman, Daniel Zovatto, David Lasky, Michael Arata, and Rebel Entertainment’s Rock Jacobs and Batia Parnass.
Guillén is represented by Innovative Artists and Yorn Levine
