Kat Dennings, known for her roles in “2 Broke Girls” and “Thor,” has been cast in the ABC pilot “Shifting Gears” alongside Tim Allen. She will play the character Riley.
The comedy pilot was requested with Allen attached in the role of Matt in March. Riley is Matt’s daughter, and her character is described as someone who clashed with her father while growing up and then left to marry a boyfriend he didn't approve of. She is now newly divorced and living back home with her two kids, hoping to reconcile with her dad.
Dennings will also be a producer on the project. She recently starred in two seasons of “Dollface” for Hulu and ABC, and has also appeared in Marvel projects like “WandaVision” and the “Thor” series. She was also part of the CBS show “2 Broke Girls” created by Whitney Cummings and Michael Patrick King. Her film credits include Judd Apatow’s “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “The House Bunny” alongside Anna Faris and Emma Stone, as well as indie films like “Charlie Bartlett” and “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.”
The logline for the new project states: “Matt (Tim Allen) is the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. When Matt’s estranged daughter and her teenage kids move into his house, the real restoration begins.”
The pilot marks Allen’s latest collaboration with ABC since “Last Man Standing,” which aired for six seasons on the network before being picked up by Fox for three more. “Shifting Gears” is ABC’s first pilot order of the season as they are now focusing on developing projects year-round.
Allen will be the executive producer of the series, which is written by “Duncanville” cocreators Mike and Julie Scully, who will also be executive producers. Other executive producers include Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Richard Baker, and Rick Messina.
Dennings is represented by Gersh Agency, Linden Entertainment, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern LLP.
Deadline first reported the news.
