Robbie Amell has landed the male lead in CBS Films’ pic “The Duff” alongside Mae Whitman.
Last year Ari Sandel became attached to direct the project from Josh A. Cagan’s adaptation of the novel by Kody Keplinger. The story follows a high school senior whose world is turned upside down when she learns that her group of friends has labeled her the DUFF (designated ugly fat friend) — a sidekick to her prettier, more popular friends. She becomes determined to reinvent herself — and enlist her fellow DUFFs — in a scheme to overthrow the school’s evil queen.
McG, Susan Cartsonis and Mary Viola are producing for Wonderland Sound and Vision; Vast Entertainment’s Lane Shefter Bishop exec produces.
CBS Films acquired the feature rights to Keplinger’s “The D.U.F.F.” in 2011. Mark Ross and Alex Ginno are overseeing the project for CBS Films.
Amell is coming off his CW show “The Tomorrow People” and is also filming the indie “Max.” He is repped by WME, Protégé Entertainment, Coast To Coast and Felker, Toczek, Suddleson.
Source: Variety