The first buddy comedy movie starring two actors with Down syndrome is being planned by Fort Worth-based Out of Order Studios.

The groundbreaking feature film, called “Monsters vs. Muncy,” will star Zack Gottsagen (“The Peanut Butter Falcon”) and David DeSanctis (“Where Hope Grows”). Lauren Potter (“Glee”) also stars in the film, producers said. The film is set to shoot in Texas, Out of Order said.

Out of Order co-owners and producers Chad Gundersen and Chris Juen are executive producers of the hit TV show “The Chosen.” The duo said “Monsters vs. Muncy” is a history-making film project with producer Aaron Scotti (“The Peanut Butter Falcon”) from a script by writer-director-producer Chris Dowling (“Where Hope Grows”).

Ragtag team battles monsters that invade a small town

In the film, two best friends played by DeSanctis and Gottsagen will discover monsters invading their small town of Muncy. The friends rally a ragtag team to heroically battle the creatures in hopes saving the world from certain doom, Out of Order said.

“We’re doing something that has never been done before and are proud to have this amazing team and talented actors assembled,” screenwriter Dowling said in a statement. “Representation is so important, and we look forward to finding other partners that see the vision and want to change the world with us through film.”

The studio said that “Monsters vs. Muncy” has already garnered excitement and gained national support from several special-needs organizations, including Best Buddies and the National Down Syndrome Society.

“I truly do believe that people with disabilities are the real superheroes and as noted in the script, their hearts are their superpowers,” Anthony Kennedy Shriver, founder, chairman & CEO of Florida-based Best Buddies International, said in a statement. “Thank you for crafting a story that presents people with Down syndrome as intelligent, funny and capable leaders, but most importantly, as human beings. We look forward to supporting the film and helping spread awareness among our participants and supporters once it hits theaters.” 

Out of Order cited a recent article in Variety that said “people with disabilities represent 28.8% of the viewing and purchasing audience in the U.S. (more than 70 million people), or about 16% of the world’s population (1 billion people). In 2022, only 1.9% of speaking characters in the top 100 films had a disability according to a recent study.”

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