Kockroach: A Surreal Ascent from Insect to Influencer

Production Details

Title: Kockroach

Format: Feature Film

Producer: Andrew Lazar

Writer: Jonathan Ames

Director: Matt Ross

Cast: Channing Tatum, Oscar Isaac, Zazie Beetz

Filming Location: Australia

Production Begins: January 2026

Phone: 818-954-3500

Synopsis: It is the mid-1950s, and in a fleabag hotel off Times Square, Kockroach, perfectly content with life as an insect, awakens to discover that somehow he’s become, of all things, a human. This tragic turn of events would be enough to fling a more highly evolved creature into despair, but cockroaches know no despair. Firmly entrenched in the present tense, they are awesome coping machines, and so Kockroach copes. Step by step, he learns the ways of humans—how to walk, how to talk, how to wear a jaunty brown fedora. In Times Square he discovers a blistering sea of lights, a great smoking god, walls of glass laden with food, and the opportunity to rise in the human world. Two companions guide him on his way: Mite, an undersized gangster suffering an acute case of existential angst, and Celia Singer, a reserved woman with a disfigured body who finds in Kockroach a key to unlocking her hidden passions. As Kockroach, led by his primitive desires and insectile amorality, navigates through the bizarre human realms of crime, business, politics, and sex, he meets with both great triumph and great disaster. Will he find success or be squashed flat from above? Will he change humanity, or will humanity change him?

Company name: Mad Chance Productions
4000 Warner Boulevard, Bldg. 81, Rm 212
Burbank, CA 91522 andrew@madchance.com

Company name: Caa Media Finance
2000 Avenue of the Stars
Los Angeles, CA 90067 424-288-2000
filmsales@caa.com

Company name: Range Select
2425 Michigan Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90404 424-610-9300
info@rangemp.com

Please note that this production is not yet released.

About Kockroach

Set in the mid-1950s, Kockroach tells the story of an insect who unexpectedly transforms into a human. Instead of sinking into despair, he adapts to his new life, learning the nuances of human behavior while wearing a distinctively stylish fedora. In bustling Times Square, Kockroach encounters the vibrant pulse of city life, guided by two unique companions: Mite, a troubled gang member grappling with his own existence, and Celia, a woman with hidden desires struggling with her own identity. The film explores Kockroach’s adventures as he forays into human society, facing both triumph and disaster along the way.