Ryan O’Connell Will Make His Directorial Debut With ‘Just By Looking At Him’

The film is an adaptation of an adaptation of his novel of the same name…

Ryan O’Connell, who is best known for the Netflix series Special, will make his directorial debut with Just by Looking at Him, an adaptation of his novel of the same name. In addition to directing and writing the script, O’Connell will play the lead role of Elliot, a gay television writer with cerebral palsy. The film will co-star The Big Bang Theory‘s Jim Parsons AS Elliot’s boss, Ethan.

According to the official description, the comedy will follow Elliot as he tries “to find love and connection in a world that wasn’t built for him.”

“It’s been absolute heaven working on the adaptation of my novel with the smarties at Berlanti/Schechter and FilmNation, and I’m beyond excited to terrorize a new medium with my gay filth!!!” O’Connell said in a statement.

“When Ryan pitched us Just By Looking At Him in his singular style—in his words, a Nora Ephron movie with a ton of gay sex—we were immediately hooked by his hilarious, totally original, empathetic vision for the film,” “Ryan is the perfect filmmaker to bring this personal-yet-universal underdog story to life. It’s unlike anything else out there, and we’re thrilled to be part of it.”

“When Ryan pitched us Just by Looking at Him in his singular style — in his words, a Nora Ephron movie with a ton of gay sex — we were immediately hooked by his hilarious, totally original, empathetic vision for the film. Ryan is the perfect filmmaker to bring this personal-yet-universal underdog story to life. It’s unlike anything else out there, and we’re thrilled to be part of it, alongside our wonderful partners at Berlanti/Schechter,” said Ashley Fox, FilmNation Entertainment’s president of production. 

“We have long admired Ryan’s work and talent and are thrilled to be a part of his directorial debut, Ryan’s singular voice and perspective deserve to be shared with the world. We couldn’t be more excited to have Jim lend his talents to this story as well,” added Berlanti and Schechter. 

Filming on Just By Looking At Him is slated to begin next spring, with a release date yet to be announced.