The last time we heard from A 516 Productions and filmmaker Paul Santoli, it was reviewing his heartfelt comedy “Because of Mika.” That 2024 film featured a dog, Mika, that no one else besides its chief character (Santoli) could see. The media outlet FilmThreat had likened the movie to Kevin Smith’s “Clerks,” and reviewing the film I stated you feel better after watching it than before, and that it was a welcome respite from a modern, cynical world.
Now, Santoli and A 516 Productions are back with the promise of an upcoming film, “We Want the Virus.” Santoli and Co-Writer Daniel Gualajara pen a fresh comedy about—all things—Covid 19. The plot is as follows: After a blacked out night of drinking, two lifelong friends and struggling actors wake up and realize they raised $22,000 falsely claiming they had the Coronavirus, and now must go to extreme lengths in order to obtain the virus and collect their cash.
Coming Soon
Knowing Santoli and his penchant for weaving feel-good emotions into his comedies, I can only imagine what we have in store. The film is currently in post-production, though Santoli was not able to offer a release date—as of yet. He compared it to a “modern-day “Dumb and Dumber,” though knowing what “Because of Mika” brought to the table, I feel that’s a short sell. The film has a robust cast (IMDb lists multiple actors, a step up from “Mika”), but featuring: Caron Polish, Amy Lyndon, Allan Wasserman, Cody Schultz, and, of course, Paul Santoli.
For more information on A 516 Productions, you can follow them @a516productions on Instagram and YouTube. Feel free to check out the spirited talk I had with Santoli about “Because of Mika” here, as well as check out the film on Amazon Prime Video. Also, check out stills from the movie and the film’s poster below.
Follow The Movie Buff for more info on “We Want the Virus” as it nears closer to release, including review, where to watch, and more.
