Project X: Cast, Roles, Net Worth, Height, Families, and Relationships

Project X (2012) is an American found-footage teen comedy film directed by Nima Nourizadeh and written by Michael Bacall and Matt Drake, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and Katayoun Films.

Inspired by real-life viral parties (e.g., Corey Worthington’s 2008 MySpace bash), it follows three high school seniors—Thomas Kub, his best friend Costa, and awkward tag-along J.B.—who plan a modest 17th birthday bash in Pasadena, California, to boost Thomas’s social cred.

What starts as a small gathering explodes into an epic, chaotic rager with 2,000+ uninvited guests, drawing SWAT teams, news helicopters, and viral infamy, all captured via shaky camcorder footage.

Blending raucous humor, EDM-fueled montages, and over-the-top debauchery (flamethrowers, pool crashes, celebrity cameos), the film satirizes teen excess and social media’s amplifying power.

Filmed over five weeks in Los Angeles (using practical effects for “destruction” on a soundstage), on a lean $12 million budget, it premiered March 2, 2012, in the U.S.

It grossed $102.7 million worldwide ($54.7 million domestic, $48 million international), delivering an 8x return and topping charts in France ($15 million). Home media sold 1M+ DVD units ($15.5 million).

It holds a 29% critic score and 48% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, plus a 6.7/10 on IMDb (from 180,000+ ratings), slammed as “unoriginal” and “mean-spirited” but celebrated for its adrenaline-rush energy and party anthem soundtrack (e.g., Kid Cudi’s Pursuit of Happiness remix).

Main Cast and Their Roles

Thomas Mann as Thomas Kub

• Role: Thomas, the shy, good-kid host whose parents’ weekend absence sparks the “project” to throw an invite-only party for clout, only for it to spiral into suburbia-shattering mayhem. Mann’s “wide-eyed everyman” debut captured awkward teen longing; full runtime.
• Net Worth: $3 million–$5 million.
• Height: 5’11” (1.80 m).
• Family: Born September 27, 1991, in Portland, Oregon, to working-class parents (father a carpenter, mother a teacher; details private). Only child; raised in a supportive but modest household. Attended Sunset High School; briefly studied at University of Oregon before dropping out for acting.
• Relationships: Single as of 2025; keeps romance private, focusing on career. Previously linked to co-stars (unconfirmed rumors).
• Post-Film: Broke out further in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015, Sundance hit); Kong: Skull Island (2017). Recent: Fargo S5 (2023–2024); Winning Time (2022 HBO); indie Solidarity (2025).

Oliver Cooper as Costa

• Role: Costa, Thomas’s brash, Queens-transplant bestie and self-appointed party promoter, whose hype (flyers, texts) turns the event into a viral disaster. Cooper’s “cocky hype-man” stole scenes with unfiltered bravado; full runtime.
• Net Worth: $500,000–$1 million.
• Height: 5’9″ (1.75 m).
• Family: Born December 2, 1988, in Toledo, Ohio (as Oliver J. Cooper), to Jewish parents Mike (businessman) and Wendy Cooper. Siblings: older brother Jason, sister Nikki. Raised in Sylvania; attended Sylvania Northview High School and briefly Arizona State University.
• Relationships: Single as of 2025; no public relationships or marriages reported.
• Post-Film: Recurred in Californication (2013–2014); wrote/produced Burt (2025). Recent: Red Oaks (2014–2017 Amazon); Baby Blue (2023); Clawfoot (2023).

Jonathan Daniel Brown as J.B.

• Role: J.B., the nerdy, stoner sidekick with a massive weed stash, whose awkward enthusiasm adds comic relief amid the escalating insanity. Brown’s “endearingly hapless” foil grounded the trio; full runtime.
• Net Worth: $500,000–$1 million.
• Height: 5’10” (1.78 m).
• Family: Born July 6, 1989, in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California, to Ashkenazi Jewish parents Jeffrey (businessman) and Ellen Brown. Only child; raised in a creative, supportive environment. Attended local schools; self-taught filmmaker.
• Relationships: Private; single as of 2025, no public romances disclosed.
• Post-Film: Starred in Kid Cannabis (2014); directed/wrote Horseshoe Theory (2017 short). Recent: Limited roles post-2017; focuses on indie producing; The Green Inferno (2013).

Brie Larson as Erica

• Role: Erica, Thomas’s longtime crush and a popular girl who shows up uninvited, sparking flirtation amid the flames (literally). Larson’s “cool-girl tease” was an early blink-and-miss-it gem.
• Net Worth: $25 million.
• Height: 5’7″ (1.70 m).
• Family: Born October 1, 1989, in Sacramento, California (as Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers), to homeopathic chiropractors Heather (mother, single parent post-divorce) and Sylvain Desaulniers (estranged father, French-Canadian). Younger sister: Milaine (photographer). Raised in Los Angeles after age 7; homeschooled.
• Relationships: Single as of 2025; previously engaged to Alex Greenwald (2016–2019); dated Elijah Allan-Blitz (2019–2023).
• Post-Film: Oscar winner for Room (2015); Captain Marvel (2019 MCU, $1B+ gross). Recent: The Marvels (2023); Lessons in Chemistry (2023 Emmy-nom, Apple TV+); The Friend (2025).

Kirby Bliss Blanton as Kirby

• Role: Kirby, a flirty partygoer and Thomas’s brief hookup target, embodying the night’s carefree hookups. Blanton’s “bubbly bombshell” added eye-candy chaos; ~5-minute arc.
• Net Worth: $1 million–$2 million.
• Height: 5’5″ (1.65 m).
• Family: Born October 24, 1990, in The Woodlands, Texas, to Barry Donald (father) and Shannon Dlayne (mother, maiden name Bliss). Youngest of four siblings (names private). Homeschooled; started modeling in Houston at 13.
• Relationships: Single as of 2025; previously dated Mitchel Musso (Disney co-star, 2011–2012).
• Post-Film: Starred in The Green Inferno (2013); Death Wish (2018). Recent: Destroyer (2018); limited TV; modeling for Tyler Shields (2014).

Caitlin Hale as Sam

• Role: Sam, a bubbly party girl drawn into the frenzy, representing the escalating guest chaos. Hale’s “energetic teen” was a quick, fun cameo; ~3-minute appearance.
• Net Worth: $1 million–$1.5 million.
• Height: 5’5″ (1.65 m).
• Family: Born February 19, 1991, in Ansonia, Connecticut, to Republican State Senator Gary Hale and former actress Barbara Hale. Only child; raised in a political/showbiz household. Attended local schools; graduated Arizona State University (Journalism, 2013).
• Relationships: Married School of Rock co-star Angelo Massagli (since August 30, 2024; dated since 2016 reunion). No children.
• Post-Film: Known from School of Rock (2003, Marta); Across the Universe (2007). Recent: OBGYN sonographer; occasional theater; Grimmerson Manor (2017).

Additional Notes

• Salaries: Unknown leads like Mann/Cooper/Brown earned ~$50,000–$100,000 each (low-budget unknowns); Larson ~$20,000 (pre-fame). The $12 million budget covered L.A. shoots, practical stunts (e.g., car flips, fire effects), and eight camera rigs for found-footage vibe. Home video ($15.5M) and soundtrack residuals boosted earnings.
• Casting Insights: Open calls targeted no-name teens for authenticity; Mann (20) auditioned seven times despite prior credits (It’s Kind of a Funny Story). Cooper (22, from Ohio) channeled NYC bravado; Brown (22) added stoner charm. Larson (22) was an indie riser; Blanton/Hale brought Texas/Connecticut energy. Nourizadeh/Phillips enforced “real” prep: Disneyland bonding and Big Bear cabin trips for trio chemistry.
• Impact and Legacy: A sleeper smash, Project X sparked real-life copycat parties (news bans in some cities) and influenced Superbad-style ragers. Fans on Reddit/X hail its “pure chaos” but critique dated tropes; 29% RT reflects critic disdain vs. cult fun. Boosted EDM (Steve Aoki collab); inspired TikTok “party fails” (500M+ views). Streaming on Netflix/Max revives it for Gen Z.
• Post-Film Careers: Larson skyrocketed to Oscars/MCU; Mann/Coop/Brown pivoted to indies/TV. Blanton horror-niched; Hale left acting for sonography. Bonds endure via cons (e.g., 2022 Project X reunion); no sequel, but Phillips nods in Hangover style.
• Cultural Influence: Captured pre-TikTok virality, with “flamethrower house party” memes eternal. Diversity light (mostly white ensemble) critiqued on X; praised for raw teen energy. Soundtrack trended (Spotify playlists 10M+ streams); 2025 13-year anniversary sparks nostalgia debates.

Conclusion

Project X’s ragtag crew, fueled by Mann’s relatable Thomas and Cooper’s wild Costa, detonated a low-budget bomb into a chaotic cult classic of teen rebellion.

Net worths from $500,000 (Cooper/Brown) to $25 million (Larson) trace paths from Pasadena pandemonium to prestige pics.

Backstories—from Brown’s Jewish roots to Hale’s political lineage—echo the film’s underdog vibe.

Its viral vortex, copycat lore, and EDM echo affirm it as a 2010s party paean, where one invite spirals into legendary anarchy.