The Will Ferrell-Produced Bachelorette is a Party Down Reunion, and 5 Other Stories You'll Be Talking About Today
Also in this Tuesday edition of The Broadsheet: Greta Gerwig finds the indie romcom she's been waiting for... Wes Anderson's newest starts filming... what kind of Osama bin Laden movie do you want to see... and more ahead.
· Comedy boner! Lizzy Caplan, Adam Scott, Kirsten Dunst and Casey Wilson have been cast in the Will Ferrell-produced wedding comedy Bachelorette (title subject to change). Translation: the new film is one-third of the way toward being a continuation of Party Down! Or not. Caplan and Dunst will play best friends, who -- along with a third, uncast friend -- get asked to be bridesmaids at the wedding of a girl they used to call "pigface" in high school (Wilson). Typical wedding shenanigans likely ensue, including one subplot involving Caplan's character (described as "having a Playboy Bunny body with a Larry David brain") and Scott's, her high school crush. Newcomer Leslye Headland wrote the script and will direct -- its based on her own off-Broadway play called Bachelorette -- but the one obvious question must be asked: Does every perfectly cast female-centric comedy have to be about a wedding? Can't one just be about two girls going to the grocery store? [THR]
· Speaking of cast crushes: Greta Gerwig will star in Lola Versus, an indie romcom about a girl (Gerwig) who was left at the altar by her fiancé (Orlando Bloom). You had me at Gerwig, Lola Versus. [Variety]
· The worldwide rights for Moonrise Kingdom -- the next Wes Anderson film you'll love, starring Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman -- were acquired by Focus Features, with eyes toward selling them at Cannes this month. [Deadline]
· When it comes to Hollywood movies about Osama bin Laden, do you want to see an insightful glimpse on the heroism it took to finally catch and kill him, or The Expendables? [LAT/24 Frames]
· Paul W.S. Anderson has found his Titanic. The Resident Evil mastermind will direct Pompeii, "a period adventure movie recounting the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and the destruction of the ancient Roman city." There will be a love story, too. Of course. [THR]
· 30 Rock co-star Katrina Bowden has been added to the cast of Piranha 3DD. Pro tip, Katrina: stay away from Gary Busey on this one. [Press Release]
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Comments
I think it's because weddings make films like these more relatable to a wider female audience. These smart young female Hollywood writers and directors need their films to earn Nancy Meyer/Nora Ephron money to prove themselves. A wedding setting is familiar and suggests, I suppose, a safeness to the plot and characters. Even if it doesn't turn out to be true, it'll help get butts in the seat.
As for bin Laden movies, I'm sure there'll be a half dozen of them in the next 5 years, something for everyone. Personally I'm hoping for a The Kingdom tone, tense and intelligent for the two acts, balls to the wall action in the third. Fits what actually happens and helps the film feel like it has a really satisfying pay off, rather than just slightly offensive action heroes.
"Bachelorette" is an excellent play but unbelievably dark. It will be interesting to see how it translates into a mainstream Ferrell-produced romcom. If it's anything like the source material, it definitely won't be the typical wedding-centered chick flick.