Matarazzo, Coolidge, Jordan, Theaker To Star In Cranium Entertainment's MAGNUS!

Cranium Entertainment, Inc announced today that Ash Christian and Heather Matarazzo will produce the dark comedy MANGUS!, which Christian also wrote and is directing.

MANGUS! stars Heather Matarazzo ("Welcome to the Dollhouse"), Jennifer Coolidge ("Legally Blonde," "Best in Show"), Leslie Jordan ("Will & Grace"), Deborah Theaker ("A Mighty Wind," "For Your Consideration") and introducing Ryan Nelson Boggus as Mangus. Production started January 22 in Waxahachie, Texas and is scheduled for a 3-week shoot.

Mangus Spedgwick has had one dream his whole life... He wants to be Jesus - in his high school's annual production of "Jesus Christ Spectacular" that is. When unforeseen circumstances strike, Mangus loses the role, which was a Spedgewick family tradition. Will he get to be their town's first crippled Jesus? Not without a hard fight, a road trip and breaking the law a few times along the way.

"It's rare that I get a script that I fall in love with and want to be a part of," says Heather Matarazzo. "'Mangus' I fell in love with to the point that I'd take a massive pay cut, devote 4 years of my life and help get this film out into the world."

MANGUS! marks Ash Christian's sophomore writing/directing feature, following his 2006 debut "Fat Girls" in which he also starred and which received its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film sold to Regent Entertainment and opened in theaters nationwide in the fall of 2007. MTV picked up "Fat Girls" as a pilot for their network at the Tribeca Film Festival and hired Christian to write, direct and executive produce the series for MTV in New York.

Christian's acting credits include "Ugly Betty," "Six Feet Under," "Jack and Bobby" and "Boston Public," as well the feature films "Domino," "Man of the House" and "The Wake-Up Caller." Ash recently appeared alongside John Waters, Gus Van Sant, Ang Lee, Heather Matarazzo and John Cameron Mitchell in Lesli Klainberg's documentary "FABULOUS!: The Story of Queer Cinema" which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and is currently airing on IFC. In a recent profile in Modern Luxury magazine, Ash was described as "the new face of independent cinema". Ash is currently in development on "Continental," a documentary directed by Sundance alum Malcolm Ingram ("Small Town Gay Bar"), and is also writing a new screenplay entitled "Petunia", which he is planning to star in and direct.

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