A special premiere of Abbotsford actor/comedian Leland Klassen’s latest movie, Sleeper Agent, takes place Sunday, March 8 at Central Heights Church, 1661 McCallum Rd.
The screening for the film, which is co-produced by Kingdom Sight Studios and M6 entertainment, starts at 7 p.m.
Sleeper Agent is an action comedy about a bored courier employee who idolizes the spy world and mistakenly becomes convinced that he’s being activated as a generational sleeper agent.
This leads to him becoming entangled in a web of espionage that not only puts himself at risk, but also national security. Now it’s up to him to get the girl and save the day.
Klassen plays the lead role in the movie, which he co-wrote alongside director Nathan Blair. This marks Blair’s fifth feature film as a director and Leland’s second as lead actor.
Also joining the cast are Gigi Orsillo, Julie Crisante, and a host of stand-up comedians from across North America such as Tim Hildebrand, Matt Falk, Heath Arthur, and – probably the most recognizable name of them all – Mark Christopher Lawrence.
Lawrence has been in numerous movies such as The Island, Pursuit of Happiness, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and K-PAX, but most people will recognize him from his role as Big Mike on the hit NBC series Chuck.
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Klassen and Lawrence will both be on hand at the screening to present the movie and field some questions afterward.
Klassen said the film is a “dream come true” for him.
“Dreams sneak up on you sometimes. You put your head down and work hard to reach certain goals and, before you know it, you’ve achieved them, usually not in the way you think, but you still do achieve some,” he said.
“I’ve learned that you need to appreciate what you have accomplished sometimes and that’s what this night is for me. It’s a celebration of achieving a goal and sharing that with friends, family, and fans from the Fraser Valley.”
Although Sleeper Agent is not yet rated, Klassen said it is a family-friendly comedy that is suitable for all ages.
Klassen previously starred in the film Extraordinary, based on the true-life story about ultra-marathon running legend Dr. David Horton, his wife Nancy and their attempt to finish their marriage race as well.
Klassen is one of Canada’s premiere clean comedians. He has been making people laugh across North America for over 20 years on tour and has been on Just for Laughs, Comedy Network, CBC, Netflix, Dry Bar Comedy and recently began work on feature films.
Tickets for the screening of Sleeper Agent are $10 and are available online at sleeperagentmovie.com.