Felice Kakaletris is reaching a major new milestone with Rain Reign, the indie drama premiering June 6 at the Tribeca Festival.
For Trevor Decker News readers who have followed Kakaletris since her time as Molly in NBC’s Annie Live!, this is an especially meaningful next chapter. The film places her at the center of a character-driven story alongside Paul Rudd and Jeremy Sisto, giving her a major festival showcase in a project built around heart, family, and resilience.
Based on Ann M. Martin’s bestselling novel, Rain Reign follows Rose, a neurodivergent 12-year-old girl whose beloved dog Rain goes missing during a storm. Kakaletris plays Rose, while Rudd stars as her loving uncle and Sisto plays her struggling single father.
According to the official Tribeca Festival listing, director Erika Burke Rossa’s adaptation highlights both the tenderness of loving a family dog and the difficulty of parenting a neurodivergent child through crisis. The festival also notes that Kakaletris “shines in her first major film performance,” even while sharing the screen with more established stars.
People’s new exclusive feature on the film largely focuses on Rudd’s personal connection to the project, including the fact that it marks his first professional collaboration with his wife, Julie Rudd, who makes her feature film producing debut. Rudd said it was meaningful to go to set with her each day while filming in upstate New York, especially because the production was close to where they live.
Still, one of the most notable parts of the interview is how directly Rudd celebrates Kakaletris and what this moment could mean for her. Speaking about the film’s Tribeca premiere, Rudd told People he is “very excited for Felice because she’s so great in the movie.”
That comment matters because Rain Reign is not simply a film where Kakaletris appears alongside a recognizable cast. She is playing the young character at the heart of the story. The emotional stakes of the film revolve around Rose’s connection to Rain, her routines, her determination, and the family dynamics around her.
The film also brings Rudd back together with Sisto more than 30 years after Clueless. Rudd told People that working with Sisto again carried real meaning because “one thing you can’t manufacture is history with somebody.” While that reunion gives the movie an added layer of attention for longtime film fans, the Tribeca premiere may ultimately be just as important as a breakout moment for Kakaletris.
For those who first saw her in Annie Live!, Rain Reign represents a shift from the energy of a live television musical to the intimacy of an independent drama. It is the kind of role that can introduce a young performer to a wider film audience while also showing a different side of what they can do on screen.
Rudd also praised first-time director Erika Burke Rossa, saying he was excited for both Kakaletris and Rossa to experience the film with a festival audience. That makes the Tribeca premiere feel like a shared milestone for the project’s emerging talent in front of and behind the camera.
With Rain Reign making its festival debut, Kakaletris now has a major opportunity to be seen in a role that appears to carry the emotional weight of the film. For viewers who have followed her from Annie Live! to this new chapter, it is a career step worth watching closely.
