The Orchard Picks Up the Mic on New Comedy, “A Stand Up Guy”
Jun 12, 2015
Written and directed by comedian Mike Young and starring actor/producer Danny A. Abeckaser, A Stand Up Guy reunites The Orchard with the Club Life team.
New York, NY & Los Angeles, CA – June 12, 2015 – The Orchard announced today that it has acquired all distribution rights in English language territories to writer/director Mike Young’s A Stand Up Guy, currently in post-production. The comedy stars Michael Rapaport, Ethan Suplee, Moran Attias, Bob Saget, Jay Ferguson and Club Life actor/producer Danny A. Abeckaser, who is also a producer on the film.
This latest acquisition comes on the heels of the success of Club Life, which was released theatrically and on VOD through The Orchard in May. The film resonated with audiences on digital and cable, landing in the Top 25 Drama and Indie charts on iTunes, and bolstered by over 80 million impressions on social platforms via the support of key celebrities and tastemakers.
“I’m excited to work with The Orchard because of their enthusiasm for quality and their creative approach to distribution,” says Young. “Immediately after meeting with the team I could see we were on the same page. This is a film involving stand-up comedy, and we both realized that with my comedy background and their creative distribution ideas and global reach, there was a built-in platform to launch and spread the word. They just ‘get it.’”
“Working with The Orchard on such a dear and personal movie like Club Life was a dream come true. They understood me and really got the movie,” says Abeckaser. “To be working with them on A Stand Up Guy is just a natural progression of our productive collaboration. Can’t wait to get this out to the world.”
The story follows a low level mobster (Abeckaser) who gets placed in The Witness Protection Program and accidentally becomes famous for his stand-up comedy after an open mic-night turns viral. The inspiration for the movie came after Young experienced trouble with a rather serious group of people, causing him to consider giving up on his own stand-up career. Thankfully, he didn’t, opting instead to channel the idea into A Stand Up Guy.
“If we learned one thing in working with Danny A. Abeckaser on Club Life, it was that he is a one man marketing machine to be reckoned with,” said The Orchard’s SVP of Film & TV, Paul Davidson. “A Stand Up Guy not only represents a great high concept comedy with Danny in the lead, but another opportunity to work closely with both him and Mike to bring awareness to the film through a creative, disruptive marketing strategy.”
The Orchard will release the film in early 2016. The deal was negotiated by Craig Sussman, Senior Director of Acquisitions for The Orchard, and Gray Krauss, Esq., Stratford Sandler Des Rochers LLP, on behalf of the filmmakers.
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The Orchard is a pioneering music, video and film distribution company and top-ranked Multi Channel Network operating in more than 25 global markets. With a holistic approach to sales and marketing combined with industry-leading technology and operations, The Orchard amplifies reach and revenue across hundreds of digital, physical and mobile outlets around the world. The Orchard streamlines content owners’ business complexity with an intuitive client dashboard, comprehensive rights management and tailored client support. Founded in 1997, The Orchard empowers businesses and creators in the entertainment industry. For further information, please visit www.theorchard.com.