As “Cha Cha Real Smooth” approaches its release this Friday on AppleTV+, it’s safe to say that Cooper Raiff’s social capital in Hollywood is surging. And the upstart director already has his next couple of projects lined up. First, there’s “The Trashers,” a film about a Connecticut minor-league hockey team run by the son of a Trash magnate. And after that, there’s “Exciting Times,” a series based on Naoise Dolan’s novel for Amazon Prime, where Raiff and Dolan co-write the adaptation.
But could there be something else on Raiff’s radar after that? In an interview with Deadline, he hints that he’d like to start a production company that caters to his strengths: doing a small-budget project and then flipping it for a lot more. So, why not make a TV like that, Raiff wonders? “I don’t know how to make that much money, but I do know how to make a certain amount of money, and I know how to make something small,” said Raiff. “So, I want to be in that business. That’s why I want to start a production company, because I don’t know why a small TV show hasn’t been made and flipped for like six times what it was made for. I don’t know why that hasn’t happened yet.”
Is that what Raiff plans to do on “Exciting Times”? “No,” said Raiff, “”Exciting Times” is at Amazon, so it’s the opposite. I’m working with the author [Dolan], and she’s the smartest person I’ve ever met, so it’s just been so fun working with her, but also just becoming friends with her.” And things are coming along fast on that series. “We’ve written the first two episodes, and we’re on track for getting it made,” he said, “but I just don’t know the timeline. I don’t know when we’ll get the greenlight or whatever.”
So, “Exciting Times” will be premier TV, or at least Amazon Prime’s version of it, but it won’t hit the sweet spot Raiff would like to hit in that medium someday. Let’s hope Raiff returns to this idea, because if “Cha Cha Real Smooth” and his first film “Shithouse” are any indications, he’s a director to watch in the near future.
“Cha Cha Real Smooth” hits AppleTV+ this Friday, June 17. Read our review of the Sundance Audience Award winner here.