Lauren Ash, Mae Martin and Randall Park check in to Crave's Meatballs

Lauren Ash, Mae Martin and Randall Park will guest-star in Meatballs, Crave's new camp comedy.

The casting was reported by Deadline on 8 October. Guest cast means they appear in selected episodes rather than as full-time series regulars. Their characters have not yet been described.

Meatballs is billed as a raunchy, irreverent reimagining of the 1979 Canadian comedy film starring Bill Murray. A reimagining keeps the starting idea and builds something new around it. Here the setting stays at summer camp. The series will run for eight half-hour episodes, a compact first season, slated to premiere in 2027. Half-hour is the classic comedy length, built for fast jokes and short stories.

Maddie Phillips leads as Skipper. Skipper is the head camp counsellor. The part is a reworked version of Murray's character from the original film, now played as a woman leading the staff. Robbie G.K. plays Dale, another member of the camp ensemble.

The wider cast is young. It includes Mollie Guest, Jordan Kronis and Molly Lewis. It also includes Krista Nazaire, Markus McNamara and Lachlan Quarmby. Together they fill out the counsellors and campers around Skipper and Dale.

Two names steer the show. Jeff Detsky and Wendy Litner are showrunners, meaning they run the writers' room and make day-to-day creative decisions, and executive producers. That credit puts them in charge creatively and on the production. Michael Dowse and Aleysa Young will direct. Two directors across eight episodes keeps the shoot moving, which is normal for comedy.

The business behind it is Canadian. Meatballs is produced by Blink49 Studios and Incendo in partnership with Crave. It has participation from the Canada Media Fund and the Bell Fund, two bodies that help finance screen production. Sphere Abacus is handling international sales, meaning it sells rights to broadcasters and streamers outside Canada, according to Deadline.

What makes this stand out is the balance. Three guest stars join a largely new ensemble. A film role first played by Murray returns with a new lead.

For viewers, the message is simple. The camp is cast. The creative team is set. Now the show has to be made before its 2027 premiere.