Lionsgate– the current hub of YA adaptations– has cast Emma Roberts (We’re the Millers) and Dave Franco (Now You See Me) as the leads in its latest YA thriller, Nerve. Based off the novel by Jeanne Ryan, the story follows a high school senior who finds herself immersed in an online game of truth or dare, where her every move starts to become manipulated by an online community of “watchers.”
Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman– the pair behind Catfish— are directing the screenplay by Jessica Sharzer, adapter of the Lifetime YA film Speak.
This will be Roberts’ first foray into the young adult genre since 2010’s It’s Kind of a Funny Story. Her latest acting credits have been for the American Horror Story television series, and the James Franco-backed indies Palo Alto and I Am Michael which just had its premiere at Sundance. She will next star alongside Nat Wolff in Ashby, and the Ryan Murphy-helmed Scream Queens series.
Briefly sharing the screen with Roberts in the music video for Cult’s “Go Outside,” the younger Franco brother will be making his YA debut. After appearing in Now You See Me, Neighbors and the 21 Jump Street series, Franco is well on his way to building larger recognition within Hollywood. His upcoming projects include Now You See Me 2, Unfinished Business with Vince Vaughn, and acting alongside his brother for the first time in Zeroville.
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