‘Folk Hero and Funny Guy’: Alex Karpovsky-Wyatt Russell Comedy Finds a Buyer

Gravitas Ventures has acquired the worldwide rights to the comedy “Folk Hero and Funny Guy,” starring Alex Karpovsky and Wyatt Russell.

The film premiered in April at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival and scored 100% “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes. Jeff Grace made his feature directorial debut with a script he wrote about a successful singer-songwriter, played by Russell, who hatches a plan to help his friend (Karpovsky) by hiring him as his opening act on his solo tour while his friend has been struggling with a declining comedy career and broken love life.

The film also stars Meredith Hagner (“Search Party”), Melanie Lynskey (“Togetherness”), Hannah Simone (“New Girl”), Heather Morris (“Glee”), Michael Ian Black (“Another Period”) and David Cross (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”). “Folk Hero and Funny Guy” will premiere in theaters and on demand on May 12.

Grace starred in and produced the 2012 black comedy “It’s A Disaster.” He combined tales of his own stand-up touring experience with that of the film’s composer Adam Erza to create Folk Hero & Funny Guy.

Grace also produced “Folk Hero and Funny Guy” with Ryland Aldrich. Executive producers are Vinny Chhibber, John Davenport, Dom Genest, Tom Hamilton, Mike C. Manning, Katherine Ann McGregor, Micki Purcell, Tripp Rhame and Tom Simpson.

Karpovsky stars as the Ray Ploshansky character in the HBO series “Girls.” Russell co-starred in “22 Jump Street” and opposite Anna Kendrick in the upcoming comedy “Table 19.”

The deal was negotiated by Nolan Gallagher for Gravitas Ventures and by UTA Independent Film Group on behalf of the filmmakers.

View this article at Variety.