Deborah Lurie is reteaming with Dan Harris (screenwriter of X-Men 2 & Superman Returns) on the upcoming comedy drama Speech & Debate. The film marks the filmmaker’s second feature directorial effort and stars Liam James, Sarah Steel, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Austin McKenzie. The movie is based on the off-Broadway play of the same title by Stephen Karam (The Seagull) and follows a misfit trio of high school students who, frustrated by the hypocrisy of their authority figures, revive their school’s long since shut-down speech and debate club. Karam has also written the screenplay. Tom Rice (The Way Way Back, is producing the project for Sycamore Pictures. Lurie has previously scored Harris’ last feature Imaginary Heroes starring Sigourney Weaver, Jeff Daniels & Emile Hirsch. Speech & Debate is expected to premiere later this year.
Lurie’s previous feature credits include Dear John, An Unfinished Life, 9, Safe Haven, Footloose and Fun Size. The composer’s other recent scoring projects include Amazon’s Just Add Magic, which she has been co-scoring with Zack Ryan.
