New "Parks and Recreation" funnyman Rob Lowe will join HBO stars Jeremy Piven and Thomas Jane in Mark Pellington's indie thriller "I Melt With You," the actor's publicist has confirmed to TheWrap.
The film, which follows the interconnecting lives of four men and focuses on the pain of the modern male psyche, deals with mortality, aging and friendship.
Pellington came up with the dark story for the micro-budget film with screenwriter Glenn Porter.
Lowe will play a doctor struggling with deep personal loss and a growing drug addiction -- a far cry from the comedic characters he played in "Wayne's World" and "Tommy Boy."
Rob Cowan and Norm Reiss are producing, while Pellington and Porter will exec produce with Neil LaBute, Heidi Levitt, Aaron Gilbert and Jane.
The privately financed film was packaged by UTA and will cost less than $1 million, which is a bargain for a cast like this. Production begins next month near Big Sur in Northern California.
Pellington previously directed two great thrillers -- "The Mothman Prophecies" and "Arlington Road." His most recent films were "U2 3D" and "Henry Poole is Here."
Lowe just made a deal with Henry Holt to write a memoir about acting and fatherhood titled "Stories I Only Tell My Friends." He's also reportedly involved in the formation of a $500 million media fund with Colony Capital's Tom Barrack.
Lowe is represented by WME and Brillstein Entertainment Partners, while Pellington is represented by UTA and 3 Arts.