PERFECT GUY OR SERIAL KILLER – HOW IS A TEENAGE GIRL TO KNOW? BILLY MAGNUSSEN, ELLA PURNELL, AND ARIANA GREENBLATT TO STAR IN TEEN COMEDY MEETS KILLER SUSPENSE IN LAUGH OUT LOUD PROJECT ‘HOT TED’.
Protagonist Pictures Launching Sales at the Cannes Film Market
London, UK (May 2, 2025) – Billy Magnussen (Road House, Lilo & Stitch), Ella Purnell (“Fallout” “Yellowjackets”), and Ariana Greenblatt (Barbie, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t) are set to star in the riotous comedy Hot Ted, directed by SNL alumni Hannah Levy in their feature directorial debut. The announcement came today from Protagonist Pictures’ CEO, Dave Bishop.
Protagonist Pictures is launching worldwide sales at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.
Hot Ted is produced by Magnussen, Shane Andries, and Anne Hollister for HappyBad Bungalow (Coup!) and Javier Chapa and Phillip Braun for Mucho Mas (Rosario, The Long Game) and Purnell (“Sweetpea”). Morgan Cano-Long and Robert Muñoz will executive produce for Mucho Mas. Protagonist’s Bishop, James Pugh and George Hamilton serve as executive producers. The script is penned by Grace McLeod.
When 16-year-old true-crime podcast enthusiast Zoe’s (Greenblatt) parents send her to Camp Shady Pines for the summer against her will, she’s the immediate black sheep of the Beaver Cabin. The summer takes a turn when their bunk counselor Liz doesn’t arrive for breakfast one morning, and Zoe’s counselor crush Amy (Purnell) tells everyone Liz had to leave for a “family emergency.” But Zoe doesn’t buy it – and is convinced that hunky counselor Ted (Magnussen) is behind Liz’s disappearance. Ted’s got all the hallmarks of a classic serial killer: he’s not on social media, he owns a van, and he’s a little too nice to everyone. But is Ted a murderer, or is he just hot as hell? It’s up to Zoe and the Beavers to investigate the truth: is Hot Ted really a serial killer or is he just, like… the perfect guy?
“It doesn’t get fresher than this—sharp, hilarious, and a wildly original spin on the genre,” said Bishop. “Hot Ted nails that chaotic, cringey moment when childhood fades and adulthood crashes in. With a killer cast led by Billy, Ariana, and Ella, this one’s got ‘instant classic’ written all over it.”
“HappyBad Bungalow is all about uplifting original, inspiring artists. We couldn’t be more fired up to back the razor-sharp voices of Grace McLeod and Hannah Levy in this refreshing project!” said Magnussen.
“Hot Ted is a psychosexual thriller as imagined by virgins. Mean Girls meets American Psycho,” said director Hannah Levy. “This is the movie I’ve been dreaming to make– a reinvention of the camp comedy that speaks to being a teenager right now and always.”
A seasoned director of the multi-award winning live sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, Hannah Levy began their career at The Onion and Funny or Die, the production studio founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. Levy has also directed episodes of the Emmy Award-winning series “John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA,” and written for the hit Comedy Central series “Alternatino,” and Netflix’s “Murderville.” At SNL, they worked on iconic digital shorts, directing hosts including Billie Eilish, Daniel Craig, and Kim Kardashian in viral sketches.
Billy Magnussen most recently starred in HBO’s superhero movie satire series “The Franchise” from Sam Mendes and Armando Iannucci, and acclaimed director Doug Liman’s reimagining of the 80s cult classic, Road House. He will next be seen in Disney’s highly anticipated live-action family adventure, Lilo & Stitch, AMC’s Silicon Valley drama “The Audacity” from Jonathan Glatzer (“Succession,” “Better Call Saul”), and opposite Margot Robbie in Kogonada’s Sony feature, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.
Ella Purnell currently stars as Lucy McLean in Amazon’s Emmy-winning sci-fi series “Fallout.” Most recently she executive produced and starred in Sky Atlantic’s dark comedy series “Sweetpea,” and in Paramount+’s 10-time Emmy-nominated drama “Yellowjackets.” Additional credits include Netflix’s “Arcane,” Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead alongside Dave Bautista, and Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Next up for Purnell is the horror-comedy The Scurry, from director Craig Roberts and set to release in 2025.
Ariana Greenblatt is a rising star, who began her acting career at a young age starring on popular Disney Channel sitcom “Stuck in the Middle.” Greenblatt’s breakout year came in 2023 with notable roles in Greta Gerwig’s Academy Award-nominated blockbuster Barbie, the sci-fi thriller 65, starring opposite Adam Driver, and as young Ahsoka Tano in the LucasFilm/Disney+ series “Ahsoka.” Most recently she starred in the film adaptation of Borderlands, alongside Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart. Up next, Greenblatt will star in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t co-starring Jesse Eisenberg, Rosamund Pike and Morgan Freeman. Early film credits include A Bad Moms Christmas and Avengers: Infinity War.
Grace McLeod is a queer playwright and screenwriter from New York City whose work uses irreverent humor to tackle social truths. Her queer coming-of-age play HERLAND received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere in 2019, with productions in Chicago, San Diego, and Los Angeles. As a playwright, Grace has worked with The Playwrights Realm, No Guarantees Productions, Goodman Theatre, Ashland New Plays Festival, IAMA Theatre Company, and many more.
Magnussen is repped by UTA, Anonymous Content, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern; Purnell is repped by Curtis Brown Group, WME Entertainment, Range Media Partners, Shelter PR, and Sloane, Offer, Weber, & Dern; Greenblatt is repped by Paradigm Talent Agency, Mosaic, imPRint and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein; Levy is repped by Artists First and Ziffren Brittenham; McLeod is repped by Artists First and Gersh.
