Ten years after the cult-classic teen pregnancy film “Juno” was released, the cast is coming together again to stand up for the nonprofit reproductive health services organization Planned Parenthood.
On April 8, Ellen Page and Jennifer Garner will participate in a live reading of the script. In a twist on the original, the male parts played by Michael Cera, J.K. Simmons and Jason Bateman will be read by actresses, making this an all-female cast.
Director Jason Reitman was inspired to reprise his Live Read series as a response to the election of President Donald Trump. “Considering how much this and what Planned Parenthood has done for women I thought it would be cool to hear this script with an all-female voice,” Reitman told Entertainment Weekly.
And with a film that challenged the way many think about teen pregnancy, “Juno” is a perfect script to use to add to the conversation. “Like many other people, I felt like I wanted to do something. I wanted to find a way to contribute to the causes that have never felt more important,” he said. “It occurred to me that I have this show that could be used as a tool to not only raise money for causes that need the help, but could serve as an opportunity for a group like Planned Parenthood to connect with an audience who can be presented with new ideas, or even an action item.”
This time, the reading will take place at the Ace Theater in downtown Los Angeles on April 8. The full cast will be announced days before the show. All proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood.