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Credit: Paramount PicturesJack Black has just signed on to be an associate producer on a horror comedy short called Gianna – a film written by and starring an old student of his.
You may remember Rivkah Reyes as the spunky bass player kid from the 2003 hit comedy School of Rock, a pied-piper type scenario where Jack Black’s character impersonates a teacher and leads a group of private school kids to try and win a Battle of the Bands competition.
Now Reyes is nearly 31 years old, and the nonbinary actor is working on a new project of their own, and it looks like they’ll be getting some help from her old friend Black – and Margaret Cho of Fire Island, who has also signed on to join the project.
Who Is Rivkah Reyes?
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According to their Instagram, Rivkah Reyes describes herself as a “queer filmmaker, psychic powerlifter, comedy chanteuse.” They have spent their time since child stardom, in part, trying to get over it, and learn to just enjoy “telling stories and telling them well.”
Reyes has often described being bullied at school after the premiere of School of Rock – she have recounted children following her around, chanting the name of the film, or else calling her Katie instead of her real name. She also reported being sexualized by grown men who watched the film, and remembered one occasion in sixth grade when a man tried to take pictures of her.
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All of that led to a ten year period where Reyes battled with addiction, self-harm, and eating disorders as they tried to figure out how to be more than “the girl from School of Rock.”
Reyes is doing much better now; aside from hosting the “Where Are We Now” podcast, about the struggles of having been a child actor, they have also performed with Second City, the Laugh Factory, Club Cumming, and more. She has also appeared in several TV shows and independent films, including 2020’s Monuments.
Jack Black to Associate Produce Short Horror Comedy ‘Gianna’
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In a move that is gaining some attention in Hollywood, Jack Black has signed on to associate produce the film written by and starring the castmate he once called “Reeba Deeba.” Known to many as an arbiter of comedy, this will no doubt create a lot of faith in the film from the public.
Gianna will tell the story of a young woman who, after taking the advice of her therapist (Cho), decides to confront her inner demons, and ends up having to confront – literally – the devil herself.
The story also features, to hear Margaret Cho describe it, “perfectly twisted queerness,” so it’s safe to say that there will be some LGBTQ+ elements that come into play – making it perfect that this news comes in the first couple days of Pride Month.
There is no word yet on when Gianna is due to be complete, but Jack Black and Rivkah Reyes are also set to reunite with all their other School of Rock castmates, as a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the movie, later this year. Jack Black has promised to share pictures and video from the event to his Instagram – perhaps there will be some more detail on the project available then.
Are you looking forward to hearing more about Gianna now that Jack Black has signed on? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments.