Not Okay - What We Know So Far
The modern-day world of social media as navigated by today's young adults can seem somewhat absurd at times, which makes it prime satire material. At least, that's what producers at Searchlight Pictures and Makeready believe, as they're working on a new comedy movie exploring the topic with "Not Okay." The upcoming film, written and directed by Quinn Shephard, has tapped rising actress Zoey Deutch (who starred in Netflix's "The Politician") to portray the fame-hungry lead (via Deadline). Deutch is also serving as an executive producer of the film.
"Not Okay" is set for exclusive distribution through Hulu's streaming service. So far, it has been a fairly low-key production, but that may change soon. Over the past few months "Not Okay" has been making plenty of progress toward completion, and it probably won't be too long before it finally makes it to our television screens. Here's what we do know about the project right now.
What is the release day for Not Okay?
Searchlight and Makeready have not announced a release date for "Not Okay" just yet. In fact, they only just confirmed the movie's existence on June 8. It apparently started production on July 30, as People magazine spotted Deutch filming in New York City on that date, and the Daily Mail reported that Deutch posted "day one" photos on Instagram that have since disappeared. Also, an August 2 article about the movie from Variety said that filming was already underway.
The most recent news from the set is heartening. An Instagram post from Sept. 12 indicated that filming on the movie has wrapped, so it is likely in the post-production process right now. It's difficult to know what's going on behind the scenes, of course, but the timeline for "Not Okay" so far has seemed relatively quick. Hopefully, fans will be getting information soon on exactly when it will come out, and perhaps a trailer will be forthcoming.
Who is in the cast of Not Okay?
Zoey Deutch, whose previous appearances have included "Vampire Academy," "Dirty Grandpa," "Buffaloed" and Netflix's "The Politician," plays protagonist Danni Sanders in "Not Okay." It's her second project with Searchlight; the studio also acquired "The Hound" in January with Deutch attached. While viewers have been excited by her involvement, they were also thrilled to see that Dylan O'Brien ("The Maze Runner" franchise, "Love and Monsters") had joined the cast (via Variety). For the production, he dyed his hair blonde to play Colin (as shown on "Not Okay"'s Instagram).
Per Variety, the cast also includes Embeth Davidtz (who you'll likely recognize as the iconic Miss Honey from "Matilda"), Mia Isaac ("Don't Make Me Go"), and Nadia Alexander ("Seven Seconds") as Danni's girlfriends, along with, Tia Dionne Hodge ("The Land of Steady Habits"), Negin Farsad ("High Maintenance"), Karan Soni ("Deadpool") and newcomer Dash Perry. Apart from Danni's best friends, there is not much information out there yet as to what roles the ensemble cast will play.
What is the plot of Not Okay?
According to Deadline, "Not Okay" is about "a misguided young woman (Zoey Deutch), desperate for friends and fame, [who] fakes a trip to Paris to up her social media presence. When a terrifying incident takes place in the real world and becomes part of her imaginary trip, her white lie becomes a moral quandary that offers her all the attention she's wanted."
Deutch's Instagram shots from the first day of filming (which have since disappeared from her account) show her character pretending she's in Paris, and also wearing a big hoodie, sunglasses, and Uggs while grocery shopping — perhaps trying to be incognito in another scene. The Daily Mail reported that she was seen switching between four different outfits, all suitable for a stylish social media influencer, for that day's work.
All the behind-the-scenes images that have been released so far make the movie look like plenty of fun, so we'll wait patiently until more information comes out.