‘Fast Times At Ridgemont High’ Live Table Read Ready To Roll This Week – Update
4TH UPDATE, 7:55 AM: The A-list table read for Dane Cook Presents Feelin’ A-Live, a virtual table read of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, will now stream Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The benefit reading, with proceeds going toward the original movie’s star Sean Penn’s CORE nonprofit and REFORM Alliance, was delayed last month because of technical issues.
The event will stream live on CORE’s official Facebook page and TikTok handle as well as via LiveXLive.
The read will consist of an hour of scenes from the iconic 1982 comedy, featuring special messages from original director Amy Heckerling and writer Cameron Crowe and a loaded cast that includes Cook, Penn, Jennifer Aniston, Morgan Freeman, Henry Golding, Jimmy Kimmel, Shia LaBeouf, John Legend, Ray Liotta, Matthew McConaughey, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.
3RD UPDATE, August 21: The virtual table read for Fast Times at Ridgemont High scheduled for Friday has been pushed back again after technical difficulties. A new date will be announced.
The event, Dane Cook Presents Feelin’ A-Live, features a cast that includes Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matthew McConaughey, Morgan Freeman, Henry Golding, Shia LaBeouf, Sean Penn, Jimmy Kimmel and Cook aboard to take on the 1982 classic.
All proceeds will benefit Penn’s emergency relief nonprofit CORE as well as the prison-reform group REFORM Alliance.
“We want to deliver the absolute best night of entertainment possible and raise money for two incredible organizations,” Cook said announcing the delay. “The technical issues were insurmountable. Class will be back in session soon!”
The event was to take place Thursday before it was moved so as not to conflict with the final night of the Democratic National Convention.
2ND UPDATE, August 18: The virtual table read for Fast Times At Ridgemont High will now stream on August 21 at 8p.m. ET/5p.m. PT to avoid conflict with the final night of the Democratic National Convention.
UPDATED, August 17: The star-studded cast of the Fast Times at Ridgemont High table read got even starrier with the addition of Brad Pitt and Jimmy Kimmel. They join previously announced Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Matthew McConaughey, Morgan Freeman, Henry Golding, Shia LaBeouf and Spicoli himself, Sean Penn and Dane Cook. Exes Aniston and Pitt previously appeared together on Aniston’s hugely popular NBC comedy series Friends.
PREVIOUSLY, August 13: The biggest all-star summer movie event of 2020 is technically from 1982. On August 20, comedian Dane Cook is presenting “Feelin’ A-Live,” a fundraiser/virtual live table read of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the iconic teen pic directed by Amy Heckerling and written by Cameron Crowe.
Watch the teaser below.
The movie was authentic and raw when it came to teen comedies and is hailed as a pop culture touchstone — and the teen comedy celebrates its 38th anniversary today. The virtual live table read will be unrehearsed, which means it should be a glorious, anything-goes event with an all-star roster including Cook, Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Matthew McConaughey, Morgan Freeman, Henry Golding, Shia LaBeouf and Spicoli himself, Sean Penn (though he won’t be playing the stoner surfer — more on that later). Additional casting will be unveiled shortly. Heckerling and Crowe will make a special introduction at the top of the event. To find out who will be playing who, viewers will have to tune into the live event.
The event will take place on August 20 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on CORE’s official Facebook page and TikTok. Presented by Snack Pop, the event will benefit the emergency relief nonprofit CORE, the humanitarian organization co-founded by Penn and CEO Ann Lee, currently on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 providing testing and relief services in the United States. It also will support the REFORM Alliance, which is focused on passing laws to reform the criminal justice system and protecting the incarcerated population from the spread of COVID-19. The livestreams will feature a donate button, and all proceeds will benefit CORE as well as REFORM Alliance.
“I’m honored that so many talented, wonderful people are willing to get together to celebrate our movie, and to create their own special version of it,” said Heckerling. “And I’m a huge fan of Sean. He has such a big heart, and I fully support CORE and all of his causes.”
Crowe added: “Sean brought magic to us on day one, and he is still bringing that magic to the world. We are so excited to be a part of this 2020 take on Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Thank you to this cast, and to Sean, for always honoring the best things in life, love and creativity. It is, as a great man once said, totally awesome.”
Said Penn: “On behalf of our dedicated team at CORE, I’m so appreciative of the support Dane has given and continues to give to our work. I’m always game for a giggle. So, to gather remotely for a night of laughs with so many talented folks while providing CORE with much-needed resources to continue our vital work, then consider us fully onboard to play!”
Surprisingly Penn won’t be playing Spicolo, but he said that he is “very confident in the new guy.”
Executive produced by Cook and Ivan Dudynsky, the virtual table read of Fast Times at Ridgemont High is presented in association with Deviants Media Inc. and JWP.
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