“Scream 4″ star Rory Culkin and “The Good Wife” thesp Matt Czuchry are set to star in the indie “Gabriel,” which AFI grad Lou Howe will direct from his own script.

Helmer’s brother, Ben Howe, will produce with Luca Borghese, who recently co-produced Kristen Wiig-starrer “Imogene.”

Culkin will star as the title character, a troubled teen who goes off his meds and sets off on a quest through New York City to find the first girl he ever kissed. Czuchry will co-star as his compassionate older brother, who must constantly assess and navigate Gabriel’s shifting moods.

Project, which is Lou Howe’s first feature, has been supported by The Sundance Institute, Cinereach and IFP. Production is skedded to start in July in New York.

Lou Howe previously wrote and directed the short films “Well Fed and Comfortable” and “My First Claire.”

Ben Howe is a former assistant to Scott Rudin and recently produced Liza Johnson’s “Return.” He previously produced the Zoe Kazan pic “The Exploding Girl” and Mo Ogrodnik’s “Deep Powder,” which stars Shiloh Fernandez and Haley Bennett.

Culkin, whose credits include “You Can Count On Me” and “Signs,” will soon be seen alongside Blake Lively in the indie pic “Hick,” which reunites him with “Lymelife” helmer Derick Martini. He’s repped by Paradigm and Brookside Artist Management.

Czuchry, who starred on “Gilmore Girls” before landing “The Good Wife,” played controversial author Tucker Max in the 2009 comedy “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.” He’s repped by Gersh, Thruline Entertainment and attorney Jeff Bernstein.

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Trigger happy
‘Hick’ preemed Thursday in Gotham
By Stephen Schaefer

Kieran Culkin gets a grip on brother Rory.

Emma Roberts and Chloe Grace Moretz party at Ken & Hook.
At age 15, Chloe Grace Moretz needed no training to use a Smith & Wesson .45 for “Hick.”

That became evident at the Phase 4 Films preem Thursday night at Gotham’s Crosby Street Hotel, where director Derick Martini recalled how he cast the young thesp. “I watched Chloe in one scene in ‘Kickass’ where Nic Cage shoots her in the chest, yet she’s wearing a bulletproof vest, and the way she played it was brilliant,” he said.

Moretz is happy discovering the perks of her new leading-lady status. “I just got a new iPad as a present for ‘Carrie,’” she said of the remake she films this June.

Thursday was also a memorably upbeat day for Rory Culkin whose curly hair is a tad longer than Moretz’s.

“I just found out earlier today I’ll play the title character in ‘Gabriel’ this summer,” he said. “That’s what this hair is for.” That’s not the angel Gabriel, he points out. “He’s actually a schizophrenic. It’s very dark.”

Kieran Culkin showed up, as did Emma Roberts, who stars in Martini’s untitled next and very different pic. “It’s a full-out comedy,” he promised.

SOURCE: Variety