New movie shot in Syracuse with Charlie Day, ‘SNL’ stars gets release date

A release date has been set for American High’s latest movie shot in Syracuse.

“Summer of 69,” featuring Charlie Day (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) and three “Saturday Night Live” alumni, will premiere May 9 on Hulu. It’s part of the Liverpool-based studio’s first-look deal with the Disney-owned streaming service.

The new film, co-written and directed by Jillian Bell, follows an awkward high school senior (“That ‘90s Show” star Sam Morelos) who hires an exotic dancer (“SNL” cast member Chloe Fineman) to help seduce her longtime crush before graduation, leading to unexpected friendship and lessons in self-confidence, acceptance and adulthood.

New photos and cast details released Thursday show Fineman as a stripper named “Santa Monica,” who agrees to help Abby (Morelos) in exchange for help saving her gentleman’s club from foreclosure. Day plays a “sleazy misogynist who threatens to take over Diamond Dolls,” the club where Santa Monica works.

It’s unclear if scenes were filmed at the Diamond Dolls club in Syracuse. Principal photography took place around Central New York last summer.

The rest of the cast includes “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” star Matt Cornett as Max, Abby’s crush with a certain preferred sexual position; former “SNL” writer Paula Pell as Betty Spaghetti, the owner of the Diamond Dolls strip club; Nicole Byer (“Nailed It!”) and Liza Koshy (“A Family Affair”) as exotic dancers; former “SNL” star Alex Moffat as the club DJ; and Natalie Morales (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Parks and Recreation”) as a former classmate of Santa Monica’s planning their 10-year high school reunion.

“Summer of 69″ is the 20th movie shot in the Syracuse area by Liverpool-based production company American High. Day and Morales, who previously directed “Plan B” for American High, were spotted visiting Armory Square restaurant Pastabilities during filming last summer.

It’s the feature-length directorial debut for Bell, an actress whose credits include “22 Jump Street,” “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Good Burger 2,” “Workaholics,” “Godmothered,” “Eastbound & Down,” “American Dad!” and “Bill & Ted Face the Music.” She also appeared in “Murder Mystery 2,” directed by American High founder Jeremy Garelick.

“‘Summer of 69’ is filled with so much comedy and heart. It’s about that time in your life when you don’t have all the answers, and you do wild things to get it right,” Bell told The Wrap. “These are the good times you look back on and realize that the journey was the most fun part … It’s about accepting who you are instead of rushing to be something you’re not. “

“Summer of 69″ made its world premiere at the SXSW film festival last month. A trailer has not yet been released.

It’s unclear if the film will have any connection to the song “Summer of ‘69″ by Bryan Adams, who has said the lyrics are partially about the sex position — though co-writer Jim Vallance said he was inspired by his memories of the year. Casting calls last year suggested the movie title — which does not include an apostrophe in front of the number 69 — could reference both, with appearances by cars built in the late 1960s.

Bell, who co-wrote the screenplay with Liz Nico and Jules Byrne, also produced the film alongside American High’s Garelick, Will Phelps, and Molle DeBartolo with Axelle Azoulay and Matt Sacca associate producing. Breanna Bell-Singer, Dichotomy’s Adam Goodman and Matt Skiena, and Lucas Carter from Champagne Video are also producing.

American High, headquartered at Syracuse Studios (the former A.V. Zogg Middle School and Liverpool high school), is the production company behind American High Shorts and movies shot in Central New York like “Prom Dates,” “Miguel Wants to Fight,” “Sid is Dead,” “It’s a Wonderful Binge,” “I Love My Dad,” “Crush,” “Sex Appeal,” “Plan B,” “The Binge,” “Big Time Adolescence,” “Looks That Kill,” “The Ultimate Playlist of Noise,” “Holly Slept Over,” “Banana Split,” “Empire Waist,” and upcoming films starring Kevin James and comedian Matt Rife.