Cameron Crowe Believes He Got the Definitive Performance from Crystal the Monkey in We Bought a Zoo

This December, Cameron Crowe returns with We Bought a Zoo -- his first feature film since 2005. According to a new article in USA Today, the writer/director is not relying on performances from stars Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson to recover the critical reputation he damaged with Elizabethtown -- but the groundbreaking work of Crystal, the capuchin monkey from The Hangover Part II.

Per USA Today:

"We feel this is Crystal's breakthrough performance," says a half-kidding Crowe of the simian sweetheart who not only plays a female this time but even gets to keep her own name. "It is her Carnal Knowledge. The role brings out colors we have yet to see. It is more mature than her Todd Phillips work. She is not just the hottest actress around, but also the most compelling."

Sorry, ScarJo! Ahem. USA Today refers to Crystal as Crowe's "lucky charm," but in addition to The Hangover Part II, she also "starred" in Zookeeper. Will that film's lackluster box office returns follow Crystal to Zoo? This could turn into quite the monkey's paw situation for Crowe... or something.

· Cameron Crowe won't be caged in for 'Zoo' [USA Today]