FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Patriot Releasing Sets Teen Comedy Almost Popular for Theatrical Release August 28th
Starring Ruby Rose Turner, Reid Miller, and Isabella Ferreira, “Almost Popular” is the first of several coming-of-age stories being released by Patriot Pictures’ distribution company, Patriot Releasing.
Los Angeles, CA – July 29, 2025 – Patriot Pictures, the independent film company known for championing director’s visions and character-driven storytelling, announces the release of Almost Popular, a bold and hilarious teen comedy starring Ruby Rose Turner (Disney’s Descendants: The Rise of Red), Reid Miller (Joe Bell), and Isabella Ferreira (Crush, Incoming). The film is the first of several coming-of-age stories being released by Patriot Pictures’ distribution company, Patriot Releasing, and will have an exclusive release in theatres in the United States starting August 28, 2025.
This smart, subversive twist on classic high school comedies follows two misfit teens on a misguided mission to join the school’s most exclusive clique—the ultra-trendy POP Girls. Their journey spirals into a series of humiliations, hard truths, and ultimately, a heartfelt lesson in self-worth.
“Almost Popular is a love letter to the teen comedies I grew up watching in the ’90s and 2000’s,” said director Nayip Anthony Garcia. “As someone who had a difficult childhood, I often turned to movies for comfort and escape. This film blends that nostalgic energy with a modern voice—it’s about finding your people, embracing your weirdness, and learning to be comfortable in your own skin.”
The cast also features an ensemble of rising young talent and digital-native stars with massive reach, including Ellodee Carpenter (Gray Matter), Elijah M. Cooper (Disney’s Goosebumps, CW’s All American), Arden Myrin (Shameless, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Kathleen Rose Perkins (Colony, NCIS), Avi Angel, Victoria Caro, Sharlize True, Shariah True, Sarah Dorothy Little, Tahani Anderson, Brooklyn Queen, Owen Morgan, Connor Finnerty, and Tyshon Lawrence.
Almost Popular had a successful festival run, premiering to a sold out 500 seat theatre at Dances with Films at the Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, CA, and winning Best Writers at La Femme Film Festival and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature Film at the Gasparilla International Film Festival. It received the ReFrame Stamp for Gender-Balanced Production (led by the Sundance Institute and Women in Film LA).
Almost Popular is directed by Nayip Anthony Garcia, an auteur known for his visual storytelling in music videos for artists like Camila Cabello, Sofia Carson, Jordan Fisher, and Alessia Cara. The script is written by Pamela Duffy-Little and Eleni Rivera, with casting by Seth Yanklewitz (The Hangover, New Girl) and Ben Pollack (Crush, How I Met Your Father). It is packaged and produced by Grace Santos, p.g.a., with Natalie Perrotta serving as executive producer.
Patriot’s upcoming films include California Schemin’, the directorial debut of James McAvoy which will have its world premiere at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, DreamQuil starring Elizabeth Banks, and Alicia in Wonderland starring Ella Bleu Travolta. Recent releases include God Is a Bullet (dir. Nick Cassavetes, starring Maika Monroe, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Jamie Foxx), Blackout (starring Josh Duhamel), Cut Throat City (dir. RZA, starring Shameik Moore, Kat Graham, Wesley Snipes, Ethan Hawke), and Synchronic (dir. Aaron Moorhead & Justin Benson, starring Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan).
Patriot Pictures is represented by UTA, Anne Jordan, Esq., Ryan Webb, Esq. of Greenberg Glusker LLP.
http://almostpopularmovie.com
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Sylvia Desrochers
MPRM Communications
323.933.3399