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By Meredith Alloway · August 1, 2013
The journey of this film has been quite spectacular. From Sundance, where stars Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller took home the Special Jury Award for Acting to the Los Angeles premiere this week, the film is stunning its audiences.
At the Vista Theater Tuesday night in Hollywood, the entire cast, filmmakers and writers came out to showcase The Spectacular Now. Even approaching an hour before arrivals, a line was forming outside. I questioned a fellow reporter, ‘Are those fans?’ When Shailene approached, it was clear my guess was correct. Autographs were gifted and teen fans ecstatic
The film has already gained adoration; being anointed the next Breakfast Club and Miles Teller the next John Cusack. The 80s are back! James Ponsoldt (Smashed) directs the teenage coming-of-age story about an unlikely romance between party boy Sutter Keely (Teller) and loner Aimee Finicky (Woodley).
Actor-on-the-rise Dayo Okeniyi, plays Sutter’s rival Marcus. Although there’s tension between the two on camera, Dayo assured me things are cool with Miles, “We were in Athens Georgia! It’s like UGA party school! We went out a couple times!” Like the other members or the cast, Dayo adored the writing he had to work with, “Those guys wrote an iron clad script.” I also asked him about his new project Runner Runner with Justin Timberlake! “I play a PHD student that aids Justin on his journey towards finding out why he’s gambling his way through college.”
When asking Ponsoldt about The Spectacular Now success, “It’s been wonderful! I think we’ve done at least 20 festivals! I’ve been living with this film!” But he’s already moving on, set to direct Pure. “Julianna Baggott wrote an amazing, strange, transporting novel I’ve been wrestling with. We’re trying to get a script we all love.” He’s already started gathering inspiration, “For Pure, I love Guillermo del Toro movies like Pan’s Labyrinth.”
Shailene is also starring in writers Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter’s next film The Fault in Our Stars “I want to be in all their movies so when you talk to them will you just say ‘Shay wants to be in all your movies?’ I promised to relay the message. She’s starring in Divergent out soon but when asked about what else is up next “I’m really excited to not do anything in a while; to do something for me.’ She deserves it. Not only did she brave the carpet barefoot after her heels broke, she also hugged every single reporter!
Fellow indie darling Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station) showed up to support his pal Miles on the carpet! Both actors will star in the film Are We Officially Dating? alongside Zac Efron and Imogen Poots. As much as Teller’s career is taking off, he admits “I understand what it’s like to have nobody notice you but to know you’re special. I feel for Aimee Finicky.”
The film opens Friday August 2nd!