News > Trachtenberg and Hardin Join 17

Written by David Morgan

Michelle Trachtenberg and Melora Hardin (The Office) have joined the cast of New Line's 17, starring Zac Efron. The story concerns a middle-aged father (Matthew Perry) who wakes up one day to find himself seventeen again (enter Efron). In order to be closer to his kids, he defies all logic and enrolls in their high school. Leslie Mann has already been cast to play the character's wife. Now, The Hollywood Reporter reports that Hardin will play the school principal and Trachtenberg will play Efron's daughter, "who doesn't know that the boy she is crushing on is her father."

Wow. At first I thought this was just another unnecessary Freaky Friday, 13 Going on 30, Vice Versa, Big, 18 Again!, Like Father Like Son rehashing. I didn't realize that when the plot description said "in order to be close to his children," it meant he was angling for consensual sex with his teenage daughter. Who's directing this? Todd Solondz? 

No, it's Burr Steers, director of Igby Goes Down and the first guy to get shot in Pulp Fiction. Adam Shankman (Hairspray) will be producing with Jennifer Gibgot and the screenplay was written by Jason Filardi.