Private Project

Scrambled

A broke, single millennial unleashes an existential shitstorm when she freezes her eggs.

  • Leah McKendrick
    Director
    MFA (writer, producer), Pamela & Ivy
  • Leah McKendrick
    Writer
    MFA, Pamela & Ivy
  • Gillian Bohrer
    Producer
    "Nine Perfect Strangers"
  • Jonathan Levine
    Producer
    "Nine Perfect Strangers," Long Shot, Warm Bodies, 50/50, The Wackness
  • Brett Haley
    Producer
    Hearts Beat Loud, All the Bright Places, The Hero, I'll See You in My Dreams
  • Amanda Mortimer
    Producer
    Bone Tomohawk, Beyond the Gates, Some Kind of Hate
  • Leah McKendrick
    Key Cast
    "Nellie Robinson"
    MFA, Bad Moms
  • Ego Nwodim
    Key Cast
    "Sheila"
    Saturday Night Live, Love Life
  • Andrew Santino
    Key Cast
    "Jesse"
    Game Over Man, "Dave"
  • Clancy Brown
    Key Cast
    "Richard"
    Shawshank Redemption, "Dexter: New Blood"
  • Laura Cerón
    Key Cast
    "Mom"
    "ER," "Shameless"
  • Adam Rodriguez
    Key Cast
    "Sterling"
    Magic Mike, "Criminal Minds"
  • Yvonne Strahovski
    Key Cast
    "Sara"
    "Handmaid's Tale," "Dexter"
  • June Diane Raphael
    Key Cast
    "Monroe"
    Long Shot, Disaster Artist
  • Mimi Kennedy
    Key Cast
    "Zandra"
    Midnight in Paris, "Mom"
  • Max Adler
    Key Cast
    "Ron"
    Trial of the Chicago Seven, "Glee"
  • Sterling Sulieman
    Key Cast
    "Preston"
    "Pretty Little Liars"
  • Brett Dier
    Key Cast
    "Nice Guy"
    Fresh, After Yang, "Jane the Virgin"
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 38 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 12, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    1,000,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • SXSW
    Austin, TX
    United States
    March 11, 2023
    World Premiere
    In Competition
Distribution Information
  • Lionsgate
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Leah McKendrick

LEAH McKENDRICK is a Nicaraguan American multi-hyphenate from San Francisco. She wrote, produced and co-starred in the vigilante thriller M.F.A. alongside Francesca Eastwood which premiered at SXSW and was dubbed "the first horror movie to speak to the #MeToo era" by The New York Times. Leah’s romcom feature VOICEMAILS FOR ISABELLE was preempted by Sony Pictures and landed her on the Black List in 2019. She then wrote the highly-anticipated GREASE prequel SUMMER LOVIN’ for Paramount, and set up a second Paramount feature, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, which she is attached to direct. She is currently penning Tristar’s reboot of the 80s cult classic TROOP BEVERLY HILLS, as well as an UNTITLED XMAS PROJECT at Netflix set to star Jennifer Garner and produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Last year, single at 34, I made the decision to freeze my eggs. It was a lonely ride — an existential one (or an EGGSistential one - ha!). At the time, it felt like pricey punishment for my failures as a woman: my failure to retain my youth, to attract the right mate within the given timeframe, to secure the kind of grown-up health insurance that could cover my (apparently geriatric) needs. There was blood and tears and bloat and bruising and exhaustion — physical and emotional. But I was comforted by the fact that I wasn’t alone. The pandemic was raging and egg freezing was soaring all around the world.

I wrote Scrambled as my love letter to all the ladies doing their best to take care of themselves, by themselves: their bodies, their spirits, their futures. It’s not easy to face articles full of grim fertility statistics as you’re getting ghosted by a dude you met on Hinge; to have to come up with 15k on top of the thousands spent on bridesmaid dresses and baby shower gifts. It’s not easy when you realize your Mom had you as a child bride at 25.

Like my character, Nellie, I chose to take my punishment and reframe it as a radical act of self-love — an investment in a future of my own choosing, chosen at my own pace. It’s a blessing to be alive at a time when it’s scientifically possible. It’s a miracle, in fact. Even if it was uncomfortable and eggsistential and I def injected myself with a few air bubbles, I did it and I did it on my own. It’s one of my proudest achievements, as is this film. And maybe one day, when the time is right, I’ll get to look at my beautiful baby and whisper, “You better cure cancer, kid.”

It was the greatest adventure of my life making this movie with my team of mostly female artists. I hope you enjoy our labor (ayye!) of love.