Upamanyu Biswas
Stephen Musumeci has landed the headliners for his first feature as a director! The Cinemaholic can reveal that Joel Murray and Rhona Shear will lead the comedy movie The Big Game. The project will begin production in Tampa, Florida, on February 24, 2025, and last 20 days. Murray and Shear will portray Donald and Beth alongside Jim Cummings, who also serves as an executive producer. Musumeci also wrote the screenplay.
‘The Big Game’ follows Donald, a man who is traumatized and made nearly catatonic following a tragic loss. With no other options, he is forced to welcome his friends and family to his home to watch the highly anticipated clash between the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles. What starts as a sports game takes on a much bigger dimension as it becomes a matter of life and death.
Murray is a veteran comedy actor credited with over 250 sitcom episode appearances. He is well known for starring as Greg’s friend and colleague at the Justice Department, Pete Cavanaugh, in the ABC sitcom ‘Dharma & Greg.’ The performer was also part of the cast of ‘Still Standing,’ ‘Pacific Station,’ and ‘Love and War.’ He further showcased his versatility by playing Fred Rumsen in AMC’s period drama ‘Mad Men’ and Eddie Jackson in Showtime’s family satire ‘Shameless.‘ Beyond his television appearances, the actor has also forged an impressive movie career, appearing in Academy Award-winning period drama ‘The Artist’ and Mark Pellington’s ‘The Last Word.’ His latest outing was as Jim Daniels in the sixth season of ABC’s ‘The Conners.‘
Shear is a multifaceted actress and businesswoman who runs Shear Enterprises, LLC, a women’s apparel label. Although she is prominently known for hosting ‘USA Up All Night’ for over 200 episodes, the performer is also credited with roles and appearances in numerous scripted and reality TV shows and films, including Mario Garcia’s ‘The Throwback’ and Shudder’s ‘The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs.’
Musumeci previously helmed several short films, including ‘The Orthodontist’s Son,’ a romantic comedy that follows a junior-year student, and ‘Scenes from a Hibachi Restaurant,’ a comedy short about a man’s travails in a hibachi restaurant. He also served as co-director alongside Jacqueline Xerri on the documentary short ‘A New Day for America,’ which chronicles the jubilation of New Yorkers in the wake of the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris victory campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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