At a time when the East Coast is being savaged by what could be one of the most devastating storms on record in Hurricane Sandy, Yahoo has decided to release a trailer for Struck by Lightning.  Whether this is an innocent oversight or a callous PR move, don’t blame the filmmakers.  Among them are writer/star Chris Colfer, who is best known for his role on Fox’s Glee but channels his high school angst into this new teen dramedy feature.  Directed by Brian Dannelly (Saved!), Struck by Lightning follows Carson Phillips (Colfer), a misunderstood teen who uses blackmail as a last resort to catapult him towards his dream of becoming editor of The New Yorker.  The film also stars Rebel Wilson, Sarah Hyland, Allison Janney, Dermot Mulroney, Christina Hendricks, Allie Grant, and Angela Kinsey.  Hit the jump to check out the new trailer.

Even those who quickly grew weary with Glee maintain their love for Chris Colfer.  So we are all watching closely with Struck by Lightning, which is not only Colfer’s feature debut, but also his first produced script.  The first trailer has dropped, and there is definite promise.  Colfer’s writing is clearly influe nced by his day job, given the story’s focus on what it means to be an outcast in high school.  But Colfer smartly crafted a different kind of high school outcast for himself, one who wants to be the editor of The New Yorker rather than a Broadway star.  This ambition leads the character to, as he puts it, “blackmail the entire school to better my chances of getting into the school of my dreams.  And it’s exhilarating.”  Rebel Wilson, Sarah Hyland, Allison Janney,  Dermot Mulroney, Christina Hendricks, Allie Grant, and Angela Kinsey also star in Struck by Lightning, directed by Brian Dannelly (Pushing Daisies).  Watch the trailer after the jump.

Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney, and Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) have joined the coming-of-age comedy Struck by Lightning. Written by and starring Chris Colfer (Glee), the pic recently began principal photography under the steady hand of director Brian Dannelly (Saved!) and is told in flashback from the perspective of a young man (Colfer) who was struck and killed by lightning. Per the press release, the guts of the film will document his “exploits as he blackmails his fellow senior classmates into contributing to a literary magazine he’s publishing.”

In addition to the cast already mentioned, Struck by Lightning also stars Angela Kinsey (The Office), Allie Grant (Weeds), Ashley Rickards (Fly Away), Polly Bergen (Desperate Housewives), and Brad Henke (Choke). A lot could be riding on the film for Colfer as it’s both his feature debut and, as we reported yesterday, he isn’t expected to return for season 4 of the show that made him a semi-household name, Glee. Here’s to hoping his television success can translate to the big screen. For a little more on the project and the three newly announced cast members, hit the jump for the full press release.

Fresh off of his Golden Globe win for his supporting role on Fox’s Glee, Chris Colfer now has a director for his high school comedy, Struck by Lightning.  Per Variety, Colfer is set to team up with director Brian Dannelly (Showtime’s United States of Tara) on the project.  The film, which Colfer penned as well, is said to be in the vein of films from the late John Hughes.  Struck by Lightning will look to begin shooting this summer during the actor’s hiatus from Glee.  David Permut (Youth in Revolt) is on board to produce the film, which will see Colfer’s big screen debut.  As for Dannelly, his previous feature directorial work comes in the form of the 2004 teen comedy Saved! which starred Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, and Macaulay Culkin.