Some Talented Filmmakers and Brett Ratner are Lining Up Behind an Ensemble Comedy
By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (11)
With the success of those giant ensemble clusterfucks, Valentine’s Day and She’s Just Not That Into You, studios are apparently recognizing that there’s something to be said for just cramming as many celebrities into one movie as possible, script notwithstanding. Relativity Media is picking up on that notion, and doing for comedies kind of what Valentine’s Day did for romantic comedies. I guess.
The idea is a Kentucky Fried Movie type of film, splicing together 17-some-odd comedy segments using different directors and a huge honking cast. Not a bad idea, really, though I would assume it would not be anything like Kentucky Fried Movie, since that movie would probably get banned from most theaters now.
The talent assembled so far is a mixed bag. The cast includes Elizabeth Banks, Gerard Butler, Kieran Culkin, Hugh Jackman, Johnny Knoxville, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz, Liev Schreiber, Sean William Scott, Tony Shalhoub, Emma Stone, Matt Walsh, Patrick Warburton, Naomi Watts, and Kate Winslet. There’s some good, and there’s some bad in that. The directors include Peter Farrelly, Griffin Dunn, Bob Oedenkirk, Elizabeth Banks, and Brett Ratner. In the case of Ratner, it might have been nice to get a director who knew something about comedy to direct a comedy short. Todd Phillips and Mike Judge were at one time, at least, asked to be on the project, as well. Josh Gordon and Will Speck were also at one time attached to write (in December, at least); no word on whether they still are.
Charles Wessler, one of the producers of the project who has also collaborated with Peter Farrelly on Dumb and Dumber, had this to say: “We all sat down and came up with what we think is a hilarious through-line for the movie,” said Wessler. “Given the amount of pot I had smoked, at least I think it is hilarious.”
Ha ha! It’s funny when old people talk about smoking dope.
One day, I’m going to be an old person talking about smoking dope. I hope you’ll afford me the same respectful mockery.
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Comments
Posted by: Cindy at March 12, 2010 10:12 AM
I'm trying to be interested, but I'm just not.