Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund Celebrates Theatrical Release of “MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE”

Feature-Length Dark Comedy Drama Boasts An A-List Cast Including Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Natalie Morales

Produced by NFL Star Travis Kelce, Film Debuts at 94 Percent on Rotten Tomatoes

LOS ANGELES — Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund (the “Everytown Support Fund”) released the following statement in response to the theatrical release of the feature film “MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE” in theaters across the country. 

“MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE” is the debut autobiographical feature film from writer and director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, who served five years as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army and was awarded the Bronze Star in Iraq in 2008. Hausmann-Stokes is also a founding member of the Everytown Veterans Advisory Council, a group of military veterans that provides leadership and support to advance gun violence prevention work around the country. The Everytown Support Fund partnered with Hausmann-Stokes, as part of a campaign created by Hausmann-Stokes and Impact Producer Chris Marvin, to connect audiences to social impact opportunities relating to themes shown in the film and to Hausmann-Stokes’ own time in the Army. 

“We set out to make something that entertains but also resonates​; that helps bridge the gap between veterans and the communities they come home to. Now, we finally get to share it with the world​,” said Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, writer and director of “MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE” and founding member of the Everytown Veterans Advisory Council.​ “For veterans, for anyone who has faced loss or trauma, my hope is ​you leave the theater with a sense of being seen. The film represents years of dedication—not just mine, but from an entire team committed to telling this story with honesty and heart​—​and I’m grateful to everyone who made this moment possible.”

“Veterans are leaders—and that doesn’t go away when the uniform comes off. They are powerful voices in our movement because they understand the importance of firearm training, safety, and accountability, as well as the devastating toll of gun violence,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. On Monday at the American Legion Hollywood Post premiere of “MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE,” Angela spoke about the power of storytelling as a vessel for change and the importance of uplifting veteran voices in the fight to end gun violence. “‘MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE’ is a reminder of why we need to care for those who served once they return to civilian society. Veterans know how to step up for our collective safety, and we have their backs as we work to keep our communities safe.” 

Produced by Legion M and Radiant Media Studios with executive producers including NFL Star Travis Kelce, “MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE” stars Morgan Freeman (an Air Force veteran), Ed Harris, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Natalie Morales, alongside a cast comprised of 90 percent veterans. It currently holds a 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and won the coveted Audience Award at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival, as well as the Grand Jury Prize at the Woodstock Film Festival.

“MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE” is a dark comedy drama that follows the journey of Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), a U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran who is at odds with her estranged grandfather (Ed Harris) thanks to the presence of Zoe (Natalie Morales), her dead best friend from the Army.

“MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE” is a continuation of “MERITxZOE,” a 2022 short film that is semi-autobiographical for Hausmann-Stokes. The Everytown Support Fund, The Bob Woodruff Foundation, and The Mission Continues were organizational impact partners on “MERITxZOE” as well. More information about “MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE” can be found here.