TORONTO — Will Forte has joined the upcoming short film Centrefield as both star and executive producer. Written & Directed by Matthew Barnett and produced by Mark DeLottinville through Toronto-based production company Big Pig Co., the film is executive produced by Forte alongside Nick Sadler, Kirsty Bell and Phil McKenzie, with First Flights in association with Goldfinch.
During a church league softball game in the early 1990s, a group of 12-year-old kids come across something unexpected in centre field, an adult magazine that quietly changes the way the game unfolds. What starts as simple curiosity turns into an unspoken agreement, with both teams finding ways to stretch the innings so everyone gets a turn.
Before long, things begin to slip. The game starts to unravel as excitement takes over, threatening to bring the whole thing down.
Forte stars in the film and serves as an executive producer, bringing his distinctive comedic sensibility to a story that balances absurdity, nostalgia and coming-of-age poignancy.
“Centrefield is about that time in childhood where you’re just starting to become aware of ‘adult things’,” said director Matthew Barnett. “When you’re a kid, some of the most hilariously absurd experiences feel serious and consequential. Will has spent his career finding the humanity inside that kind of comedy. Having him come on to the film as both star and executive producer is incredibly exciting.”
Forte has established himself as one of the most versatile performers in film and television. He is best known for his eight seasons on Saturday Night Live and for creating the cult character MacGruber, which he co-wrote with Jorma Taccone and John Solomon before reprising the role in Peacock’s 2021 series.
Forte can currently be seen in the live-action and animated hybrid comedy film Coyote vs. Acme that was released in theaters on August 28, 2026 and has received critical acclaim. His other recent credits include Netflix’s The Four Seasons, Hulu’s Sunny Nights, The Breadwinner, Kinda Pregnant and Bodkin. His previous work includes Fox’s The Last Man on Earth, which earned him three Emmy nominations, Alexander Payne’s Nebraska, Strays, Sweet Tooth, The Great North and Thelma the Unicorn, in addition to an extensive body of acclaimed voice work.
Centrefield is directed by Matthew Barnett and produced by Mark DeLottinville for Big Pig Co. Will Forte, Nick Sadler, Kirsty Bell and Phil McKenzie serve as executive producers, with First Flights in association with Goldfinch.
The project continues Big Pig Co.’s focus on filmmaker-driven narrative work alongside its commercial production slate. For Centrefield, Barnett and DeLottinville have crafted a story rooted in the awkward, curious phase of adolescence, while still holding on to a real emotional core.
At its centre, the film uses the rituals of a youth softball game to explore something more universal: the moment childhood begins giving way to everything that comes next.
ABOUT BIG PIG CO.
Big Pig Co. is a Toronto-based production company working across film and commercial
production, their filmmaking work has played at festivals worldwide and been distributed through Vimeo Staff Picks, Nowness, and Film Shortage. Mostly they try not to be boring.
ABOUT FIRST FLIGHTS
First Flights supports emerging filmmakers and original independent projects, helping develop and champion new voices through its film funding and production initiatives.
ABOUT GOLDFINCH
Goldfinch is an independent film and television company supporting filmmakers and projects
across development, production and financing.
