Nick Cassavetes (“John Q, “The Notebook”) is set to direct the U.S. remake of “The Boy With the Pink Pants,” which topped last year’s Italian box office and broke many hearts along the way. The film tells the harrowing true story of Andrea Spezzacatena, a 15 year-old boy who committed suicide in 2012 after enduring bullying at school and online.

The original movie, directed by Margherita Ferri, became a cultural phenomenon in Italy where it grossed more than $11.8 million from nearly two million moviegoers, beating Hollywood blockbusters such as “Wicked” and strong Italian auteurs such as Paolo Sorrentino with “Parthenope. The film has also inspired a musical stage version which is set to debut next February and is now poised to continue its journey in the U.S.

Tarak Ben Ammar, who produ

See Full Page