• The Black Belt

  • Randall Green
  • Set Up
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • Black List
  • 2020
  • 70.6
Access to our coverage library is now available for free to agents and managers, directors and producers, development and productions executives, and assistants to all of the above. Want to see all of this project's details instead of just this teaser? Sign up for access here.
Market: Thu, 08 Oct 2020Sold: Wed, 09 Dec 2020
Actor: Chris Pratt
Producer: Chris Pratt, Steve Barnett, Alan Powell, Jon Schumacher
Executive: Vicky Patel
AgentAmanda Hymson, Blair Kohan (UTA)
ManagerGeorge Heller (Brillstein Entertainment Partners)
ProductionIndivisible Productions, Monarch Media
7-7-2021 - UPDATE: Paul Brigandi attaches as director. Paul is known for directing filmed shorts on SNL, including a David Harbour-starring parody of THE JOKER titled, "The Grouch." 12-9-2020 - Chris Pratt boarded the project to star in and produce. Jon Schumacher, and Monarch Media principals Steve Barnett and Alan Powell. Monarch principal Vicky Patel will serve as EP. UTA Independent Film Group will oversee film sales and distribution. Pratt’s Indivisible Productions has a first look deal at Universal.
Eighth-grader Simon Paluska dreams of being a Taekwondo Black Belt, but he’s not allowed to take karate lessons. So he buys a karate Black Belt on Amazon for twenty-five bucks. Then, he has to use it. THE KARATE KID meets GOOD BOYS.
A new kid buys a black belt in order to fit in at school, however his alleged prowess soon involves him in a heist with two radical girls. As the trio's plans progress, the new kid must find a way of keeping up his lie or risk losing his friends.
When a 13-year-old loner is carted to a new school after the death of his parents, he buys a black belt online in order to impress his new classmates. However, his supposed karate skills garner him the attention of two troubled girls who invite him to take part in a heist they're planning.
When a dorky eighth grader moves to sunny California after the tragic death of his parents, he finds solace in a black belt he buys off of Amazon to validate his own self loathing. However when two girls from his class get a little too impressed by his fake black belt abilities, he gets involved in a heist that he should never have been apart of.
Film
Film, Comedy, Family, Thriller, Coming of Age, Heist, Teen, Broad Comedy, Teen Comedy, High School, Relationship
100
PG
Medium
M
White / European
13
Average
Good Boys (2019) / Karate Kid (1984) / JoJo Rabbit (2019) / Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)
Present. A couple months.
Airplane. Airport. Two bedroom apartment. Sports bar. Country club. Middle school: classroom, theater, cafeteria, gym, principal's office. Shopping mall. Suburban house. Upscale house. Aquarium of the Pacific. Pizza place. Grocery store.
SIMON (13), an awkward teenager, watches a kung-fu movie on a plane. He is picked up by his "cool" UNCLE NATE (30s). In the car ride, Simon is upset with Nate for not being at his parents' funeral. Nate takes Simon to his apartment, and refers to himself as Simon’s new dad.

Simon declares that he will not go to school until he gets his black belt in taekwondo. Nate disapproves, telling him he won't have time because Nate got Simon a job. Nate tells Simon to buy one on Amazon.

Simon orders the black belt.

When they get back to their apartment, Simon’s black belt has arrived. He promises to study videos online and earn it.

At school the next day, Simon wears his black belt over his clothes. One student, JAMES, doesn’t buy that he’s a black belt. Simon kicks his desk across the room. A couple girls in class, LIV and AUTUMN, are impressed, and possibly in love.

Simon sees Liv at the golf club. He lies more about his karate skills. She encourages him to show off his moves at the talent show.

Simon performs in the talent show, breaking styrofoam boards painted...