Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions have announced that they’ve acquired Somewhere in Queens, the comedy film written and directed by Ray Romano.
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Somewhere in Queens made its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year and has already received strong reviews from critics and audiences alike. The film is now set to be released theatrically by specialty theatrical distributor Roadside Attractions sometime in 2023.
Written, directed, and starring Ray Romano, Somewhere in Queens also features Oscar-nominated actress Laurie Metcalf, Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jennifer Esposito, Jacob Ward, Sadie Stanley, Dierdre Friel, and Jon Manfrellotti.
The film follows the story of Leo Russo (Romano), a man living a simple life in Queens, New York, with his wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf), their shy but talented son “Sticks” (Jacob Ward), and Leo’s close-knit network of Italian-American relatives and neighborhood friends.
“Happy enough working at the family construction business alongside his father (Tony Lo Bianco) and younger brother (Sebastian Maniscalco), Leo lives each week for Sticks’ high-school basketball games, never missing a chance to cheer on his only child as he rules the court as a star athlete,” reads the film synopsis. “When the high-school senior gets a surprising and life-changing opportunity to play basketball in college, Leo jumps at the chance to provide a plan for his future, away from the family construction business. But when sudden heartbreak threatens to derail Sticks, Leo goes to unexpected lengths to keep his son on this new path.”
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In a statement on the acquisition, Romano expressed joy over the move, saying, “I am so excited to know that Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions will be bringing this movie to theaters everywhere. I lived with every facet of this production for years, as a director, co-writer, actor, and producer. It’s such a personal story for me, and it’s inspiring to see these two companies step up because they believe in the movie as much as I do.”
