Charlie Day to Make Directorial Debut With 'El Tonto' (original) (raw)

Charlie Day is making his directorial debut in the Hollywood comedy “El Tonto,” which he will also produce and star in as a mute who becomes a celebrity and loses it all.

Armory Films and Metalwork Pictures have come on board to produce and finance the movie. Day also wrote the script.

The movie starts principal photography in Los Angeles next month. Armory Films’ Christopher Lemole and Tim Zajaros (“Mudbound”) and Metalwork Pictures’ Andrew Levitas will produce alongside Wrigley Pictures’ John Rickard and Page Fifty-Four Pictures’ Alex Saks (“The Florida Project”). Endeavor Content will represent the worldwide distribution rights.

Lemole and Zajaros said, “We’ve been looking to do something with Charlie for a while now. The script is hilarious, incredibly original and films like this just don’t get made anymore. We’re thrilled to get in on the ground floor of his directorial career, as we believe the sky’s the limit for him.”

Day currently stars in “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” on which he also serves as a writer and executive producer. The series returns for its 13th season on Wednesday. Day created the series with his co-producers Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton.

Day is represented by WME, 3 Arts Entertainment, and attorney David Weber. The news was first reported by the Hollywood Reporter.

The article was revised due to the inclusion of insensitive language. Variety apologizes for the error.