Spread, Fox’s newest original film for the free streaming service Tubi has begun production. Elizabeth Gillies and Harvey Keitel are set to feature in the Ellie Kanner-directed comedy. An ambitious feminist journalist, Ruby (Gillies) finds herself temping at Spread, an erotic magazine that has seen better days. She makes a good impression on her new employer, the ageing porno star Frank Ferretti (Keitel), and is tasked with creating the company’s next big app.
However, as she works, her perception of the profession and the adult sector it belongs to begins to shift for the better, despite her efforts to conceal this fact. Actors Diedrich Bader, Teri Polo, Tim Rozon, Bryan Craig, Blake Harrison, Keith Walker, Dia Frampton, Jonah Platt, and Diora Baird are all set to appear in the film as well. Tubi Chief Content Officer Adam Lewison calls the film’s screenplay “very humorous and observant,” and adds it has “a fully unique voice.” The film is based on screenwriter Buffy Charlet’s experiences working at Larry Flynt’s Hustler magazine. Singer-actor Gillies has recently voiced the title part in Catwoman: Hunted and appeared as a guest star on The Orville, although he is most known for his recurring roles on Victorious and Dynasty.
Keitel is a seasoned actor who has worked with Martin Scorsese for a long time. He has been in six of Scorsese’s films, including Mean Streets, The Last Temptation of Christ, and The Irishman. Bader is a well-known comedian thanks to his appearances on The Drew Carey Show and other shows like Better Things and Veep. He is also a renowned voice actor, best known for his portrayals of Batman on The Brave and the Bold and Harley Quinn on The Joker’s Wild. To most people, Polo will always be Francine from Meet the Parents, but newer viewers may recognise her from Fox’s The Big Leap.
Rozon has been on Schitt’s Creek, Wynonna Earp, and will feature in the upcoming Tubi original remake of Terror Train. Craig became well-known thanks to his role in General Hospital, and he now starred in the drama series Good Trouble. Harrison has appeared in both Kate & Koji and The Inbetweeners. Frampton, a singer-songwriter who finished second on the first season of The Voice, now fronts the band, Meg & Dia. Author Platt has just made an appearance in the Netflix original series Uncoupled. Baird has acted in the horror film The Virtuoso and has made several guest appearances on the TV show Cobra Kai. Gillies will not only star in but also executive produces, produce, and co-produce Spread alongside Stan Spry, Eric Scott Woods, Graem Luis, and scriptwriter Charlet. The production company is a collaboration between Cartel Pictures and Tubi Films.
The first episode of Spread will air on Tubi in 2019.