Netflix has revealed the trailer and key art for You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, coming to the streaming service on August 25, 2023.
The film was directed by Sammi Cohen from a script by Alison Peck, based on the book (buy now at Amazon) of the same name by Fiona Rosenbloom.
In You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, lifelong best friends Stacy (Sunny Sandler) and Lydia (Samantha Lorraine) have long dreamt of epic bat mitzvahs. But when popular boy Andy Goldfarb (Dylan Hoffman) and Hebrew school drama come between them, their perfect plans go comically awry.
Also starring Idina Menzel, Sadie Sandler, Sarah Sherman, Luis Guzmán, and Jackie & Adam Sandler, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah chronicles the high comedy and modern teen angst that comes with family, friendship, and first crushes.
The cast includes Sunny Sandler, Dylan Hoffman, Dan Bulla, Ido Mosseri, Jackie Hoffman, and Zaara Kuttemperoor as well.
The producers are Adam Sandler and Tim Herlihy for Happy Madison, and Leslie Morgenstein and Elysa Koplovitz Dutton for Alloy Entertainment. Judit Maull, Kevin Grady, Barry Bernardi, and Greg Denny executive produced.
“It has something for everyone,” Sammi Cohen told Netflix’s Tudum. “As much as kids will see themselves in this, adults will too. [The movie] gives us insight to this very Jewish coming-of-age experience but speaks to broader themes about what it means to be a kid today.
“Most of the time it’s a fun, exhilarating ride, but sometimes your stomach drops and you think the world will end. But hey, that’s being 13.”
Cohen added: “I was excited to tell a Jewish coming-of-age story that explores formative female friendships and self-discovery in a real, messy, authentic way.
“Stacy and Lydia’s chemistry is undeniable. They’re little platonic soulmates. The kind of friends who make you feel nostalgic for your own. It’s relatable. It’s messy. It encapsulates the first kind of love many of us experience: your childhood best friend.”
“When we first meet Stacy, she’s focused on her own experiences and how the world affects her,” Cohen said about Stacy’s coming-of-age.
“She learns that life isn’t about having experiences, it’s about sharing them. Fulfillment doesn’t come from people affecting your world, it comes from how you affect the world around you.”
In crafting the vision of the film, Cohen referenced everything from Shiva Baby to Mean Girls. “A big source of inspiration for our camerawork and framing comes from films like Waves and artists like Petra Collins,” she said.
“Production design was inspired by Sixteen Candles. Tonally, it felt like this careful dance between drama and comedy. I wanted it to feel as grounded as Tomboy and Stand by Me but as funny as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
And what about getting to make a movie with the entire Sandler household? “It was the best. The Sandlers made me part of the family. It was this really beautiful thing where everyone had space to do their own thing, but always had support when they needed it. There’s a natural chemistry you get with the Sandlers that makes everything feel real and slice-of-life.
“What was really special to watch was how the movie mirrored real life. Right before filming, Sunny had her actual bat mitzvah. It was a big coming-of-age moment for everyone. And filming the movie felt like a continuation of that.’
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.