Logan Lerman, Elle Fanning, Michelle Monaghan, Kyle Chandler and Nathan Lane are set to star in Shawn Christensen’s indie drama “Sidney Hall.”

Christensen is on board to direct from a script he co-wrote with Jason Dolan. “Like Crazy” producer Jonathan Schwartz is on board to produce through his Super Crispy Entertainment banner with Christensen and Lerman exec producing.

Story follows three stages in the life of the title character, who writes the book of his generation before disappearing without a trace. The film begins production next week in New York City.

Sources say almost every young actor met with Christensen and Schwartz for the part after the script hit the market, but Lerman was particularly believable at playing all three stages of Hall’s life — he plays a 18, 24 and 30 year old in various parts of the film.

Fanning, who recently turned 18, has already gained recognition in box office successes like “Super 8” and “Maleficent.”

Companies including Fox Searchlight and Amazon were aggressive in pursuing the script, but the filmmakers decided to first shoot the film and then take it on the festival circuit. The privately-financed project will be sold by Verve Ventures, a division of Verve Talent and Literary Agency.

Christensen is best known for his Oscar-winning short “Curfew.” In addition, he wrote and directed the feature “Before I Disappear,” based on the short. It won the Audience Award at its SXSW premiere and was then sold to IFC. He is repped by Verve and TCA Jed Root.

Dolan is currently prepping his directorial debut “Bloodloss” and is repped by UTA and Aperture Entertainment.

Lerman was recently seen in “Indignation,” which premiered at Sundance and was acquired by Lionsgate-Summit. Fanning can be seen next in Nic Refn’s “Neon Demon” opposite Keanu Reeves.

Schwartz and Super Crispy have produced indies including “Like Crazy” and “Breathe In,” both helmed by Drake Doremus, and the Aaron Paul starrer “Smashed.” Super Crispy is repped by attorneys Lawrence Kopeikin of Morris Yorn and Elsa Ramo of Ramo Law.

Monaghan can currently be seen in the Hulu show “The Path” and she is also filming “Patriots Day” with Mark Wahlberg. Chandler’s Netflix series “Bloodline” returns next month and he appears in the Sundance pic “Manchester by the Sea.”

Lerman is repped by CAA and Brillstein and Fanning is repped by WME and Echo Lake Entertainment. Chandler is repped by Gersh and Brillstein and Monaghan is repped by ICM Partners, Circle of Confusion and attorney Robert Offer. [Source]