Galletta 's first screenplay , '' Toy 's House '' , was written as the thesis of his degree at Columbia University . In 2009 , the script made the Black List , a survey of the best unproduced film screenplays , and was purchased by Big Beach Films the same week that the list was published , before Galletta had graduated from Columbia . The film was directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and renamed '' The Kings of Summer '' . It premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews . Elements of the screenplay are based on Galetta 's experiences as a youth living on Staten Island , but the producers of the film changed the location to Chagrin Falls , Ohio , a move that Galetta endorsed for giving the story " an ' any town ' type of feel . " Galletta has also managed to sell a pitch for a screenplay to New Line Cinema , which he described as " an action comedy set in Rio de Janeiro " . The story was co-written with Todd Strauss-Schulson , who is also slated to direct the film , although Galletta was hired to write the script individually
2013 Sundance Film Festival
2013 Sundance Film Festival
Chris Galletta