Cooper Hoffman has found his next role in Cooper Raiff’s “The Trashers,” playing son to David Harbour’s father.
The “Cha Cha Real Smooth” writer-director’s third film takes a page from the real story of Jimmy Galante (Harbour), a Connecticut trash tycoon and member of the Genovese crime family who purportedly inspired the character Tony Soprano. In 2004, Galante took over his city’s minor-league hockey team and put his teenage son A.J. (Hoffman) in charge of running it. Under A.J.’s command, the team quickly gains notoriety for its violent but effective playing style, racking up one win after another. However, it all comes crashing down when Galante is arrested on 72 criminal charges.
“The Trashers” will mark Raiff’s first time solely behind the camera, as he wrote, directed and starred in his first two projects. Adam R. Perlman (“Billions,” “The Good Wife”) will make his feature film writing debut, with Raiff contributing revisions.
Tom McNulty of MC2 Entertainment and Andrew Morrison of Yellow Bear Films will produce. A.J. Galante, whose life story is the basis for the script, will serve as an associate producer.
“The Trashers” will be financed by 30West. Micah Green, Dan Steinman and Dan Friedkin will executive produce for 30West, as well as Jon Wertheim and Perlman.
Raiff’s debut feature “Shithouse” won the Grand Jury Award at South By Southwest in 2020. Apple landed his follow-up, “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” for $15 million out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award in the U.S. Dramatic competition. The Dakota Johnson-starring film opened in theaters on June 17.
Deadline first reported the news.
