Summit is the Cure for ‘Cancer’ Tearjerker Comedy

The buyers at Summit Entertainment must be fans of the annual Black List of the Best in Unproduced screenplays as they have just added their third in a little less than half a year. After picking up the top of 2008’s list in The Beaver (at the very beginning of production) and setting up shop for Duncan Jones’ forthcoming Source Code (a 2007 top 20 spec), the indie distributor which was able to bankroll of three projects due to the Twilight films has bought the North American rights to the (currently in pre-production) film once going by the excellent title of I’m with Cancer. The project to be lensed by Jonathan Levine will see Seth Rogen, James McAvoy, Anna Kendrick, maybe an actor from M*A*S*H (a very specific actor) and Bryce Dallas Howard who just joined the project – she plays one of the love interests – I’m guessing it will be the role of “Rachel”.

Based on the autobiographical spec written by Will Reiser, this is his personal account of his struggle to beat cancer, with the story centering on a 25-year-old who finds out he has the disease. Kendrick will play a psychologist assigned to a young man who learns he has cancer.

Summit’s president of production Erik Feig said “it’s rare to find a script that has you laughing and crying in equal measure or a cast and director as perfectly suited to get the tone of this unique and moving film as perfectly right.” My wish is for the Summit folks to keep the title.