Sean Penn is organizing an A-list table reading of 'Fast Times At Ridgemont High'

Sean Penn is heading back to high school for a good cause. The actor is amassing an impressive list of actors to participate in a table read for the 1982 dramedy Fast Times At Ridgemont High. In addition to Penn, who appears to be the only original cast member involved in the project, the August 20th table read will include appearances from Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Morgan Freeman, Henry Golding, Shia LaBeouf, and Matthew McConaughey. Alright, alright, alright. Different teen movie, but the sentiment remains.On August 13, Penn and his non-profit CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) announced the virtual table read, which will act as a fundraiser for COVID-19 relief. The event will be hosted by comedian Dane Cook and stream on Facebook and TikTok.

 

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We are going back to Ridgemont High! Our co-founder #SeanPenn, @JenniferAniston, @JuliaRoberts, @MorganFreeman, @OfficiallyMcConaughey, @HenryGolding and #ShiaLaBeouf will star in #FastTimesLive, a virtual table read of the classic 1982 film brought to you by our friend @DaneCook. The live event will benefit the COVID-19 relief efforts of @COREResponse and @Reform. Tune in on our Facebook or TikTok page on August 20 at 9 ET / 6 PT.

A post shared by CORE (@coreresponse) on Aug 13, 2020 at 9:00am PDT

“On behalf of our dedicated team at CORE, I’m so appreciative of the support Dane has given and continues to give to our work,” said Penn in a statement about the charity event. “I’m always game for a giggle. So to gather remotely for a night of laughs with so many talented folks while providing CORE with much-needed resources to continue our vital work — then consider us fully onboard to play!”[video_embed id='2014180']RELATED: Montreal researchers are working from home to find a COVID-19 vaccine[/video_embed]As for Cook, the stand up joked that his upcoming hosting gig was a dream job. “I was once asked if, as a comedian, I’d ever dreamed of hosting the Academy Awards. My response: 'It’d be fun, but more than that, I’ve always imagined being on a group webcam chat with some of the greatest actors working today, sitting in our pajamas reading a legendary script from 1982.' Kaboom,’” said Cook.Penn has not revealed which character each actor will take on, but he did confirm that he will not be reprising his role as the party-loving Spicoli. Totally bogus.Cameron Crowe penned the screenplay for Fast Times At Ridgemont High and based on it his book by the same name, which was written after the  22-year-old Rolling Stone journalist went undercover at Clairemont High School in San Diego. Fast Times marked the director’s first screenplay and helped jumpstart his career, which has included Say Anything, Singles, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous, Vanilla Sky and We Bought A Zoo.Fast Times also marked the feature debut by director by Amy Hecklering, who has gone on to create several iconic pieces of comedy and teen film history, including National Lampoon’s European Vacation, Look Who’s Talking and Clueless. Crowe and Heckerling will both be part of the upcoming table read and help introduce the event.Fast Times At Ridgemont High was released largely without any big name stars attached to it and made $27 million at the box office, more than six times its budget. The film helped launch the careers of its stars, including Penn along with Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Forest Whitaker, Anthony Edwards, Eric Stoltz and Nicolas Cage, who at the time was working under his real name as Nicolas Coppola.The film was known for its rock and roll soundtrack, which included music by Jackson Browne, The Go-Go’s, Donna Summer and title tracks by Sammy Hagar and Jimmy Buffet. Fast Times also featured a cameo from Heart singer Nancy Wilson, who later married Crowe.[video_embed id='2007997']BEFORE YOU GO: Father and daughter dance duo is going viral[/video_embed]