Tim Federle’s award-winning novel, Better Nate Than Ever is being adapted into a Disney+ musical comedy and they just announced more of the cast. Rueby Wood, Aria Brooks, and Joshua Bassett have all signed on to be a part of the film. Better Nate Than Ever is about 13-year-old Pittsburgher Nate Foster, who, together with fellow theater kid Libby, sneaks off to a major musical audition in New York City after not being cast in their school musical.
Rueby Wood is best known for being in Broadway’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Aria Brooks is best known from Harriet, and Joshua Bassett is best known for being a part of High School Musical: The musical: The Series. Rueby will be Nate Foster in the film, Aria will be playing Libby and Joshua will be portraying Nate’s older brother, Anthony. Lisa Kudrow has also signed on to the project and will be portraying Nate and Anothony’s long-lost aunt Heidi. Tim Federle will be writing, directing, and executive producing the film, with Marc Platt and Adam Siegel as the producers.
Federle said “From the moment Rueby Wood auditioned with a song from WICKED, I knew he had the true theater-kid spirit to bring Nate’s story to vivid, living color. Aria Brooks is a star on the rise whose comedic chemistry with Rueby was undeniable from day one,” He also stated “NATE is a story about dreaming big, and it was a dream to have these newcomers joined by Joshua Bassett as Nate’s older brother Anthony, alongside the incredible Lisa Kudrow as their aunt Heidi.”
