Happy Friday, folks! I wasn’t going to post anything today, but this news I heard yesterday just sparked my inner casting-agent yearning aspiration to new heights. The new Hollywood powerhouse Relativity Media (according to Vanity Fair’s feature on its founder Ryan Kavanaugh, the studio grossed $2 billion last year) announced yesterday that they’re producing a new ensemble comedy flix à la Paris Je T’aime or the recently released Valentine’s Day, which given its popularity, we’ll probably be seeing more of. SlashFilm reports that Peter Farrelly (of the famous comedy directing team The Farrelly Brothers), Brett Ratner, actress Elizabeth Banks (making her directing debut), Bob Odenkirk and Griffin Dunne (The Accidental Husband) are on board as directors – more filmmakers will be announced later – and it’s called Movie 43.
Now, get a hold of the cast they’ve got lined up so far:
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.
This is just uncanny! Just yesterday as I was browsing IMDb when The Bounty Hunter banners were splattered all over the site and at one point I glanced at a photo of the lovely Kate Winslet at Sunday’s Oscar. I immediately thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to see Gerry be in a movie with Kate instead of Jen?’ And voila!! Granted they might not be sharing a scene together here, but hey it’s a start!
Relativity Media is producing the movie with Peter Farrelly, Charles Wessler (longtime Farrelly colaborator), and GreeneStreet Films’ John Penotti. This is what Wessler said about the project: “We all sat down and came up with what we think is a hilarious through-line for the movie. Given the amount of pot I had smoked, at least I think it is hilarious.” This is likely shaping up to be an R-rated comedy in the vein of Tropic Thunder, There’s Something More About Mary, and the recent hit The Hangover.
This project definitely gets me all excited about who I’d cast if I had my way. It’ll be a super long list, but you’d most likely see Butler (natch!) among them, with Kate & Naomi as his co-stars. As for the rest, here’s a sampling.
Guys: Morgan Freeman, Rufus Sewell, Christian Bale, Alan Rickman, Mark Strong, Timothy Dalton, Alfred Molina, Denzel Washington, Lee Pace, Christoph Watlz and Viggo Mortensen.
Ladies: Cate Blanchett, Eva Green, Angela Bassett, Thandie Newton, Helen Mirren, Monica Bellucci, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Emma Thompson. And just because I can, I’d have them all play against type, so if an actor is used to playing intense/serious roles, I’d have him play a complete goofball or an over-sentimental lover (I’m looking at you Mr. Bale)! 🙂
Now, your turn, folks. If you could be a casting director for a similar ensemble project of any genre and money/talent is no object, who would you cast?
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That’s one heck of a cast but personally, that’s too much for me! I’ve never been a big fan of very large ensemble cast movies. It allows only for caricatures of skin deep characters and the stories are almost always too short and fleeting. I’d rather see one great story than two dozen mediocre ones.
I hear you, Castor, but this sounds like a fun (maybe even vanity) project that consist of skits, so it’s not meant to be to have much character development. I quite like ‘Paris Je T’aime,’ so if you do it right, it could be quite entertaining. Of course I wouldn’t want to see this kind of movie every time, but once in a while, I don’t mind seeing someone like Winslet goofing off and stretch her comedic skills.
Love your list, rtm. But just give me anything (well, let’s ditch any bad boy characters for a while) starring (yes, give him the lead!) Rufus Sewell. Anyone else in the film would just be window dressing for me.
Amen, sis! No bad boy role, though he does ’em so deliciously well! 😉 This is what I said about what I’d like to see him in (from https://flixchatter.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/eastwood-americas-preferred-co-star): Rufus Sewell in a contemporary thriller (i.e. Michael Mann’s Heat) as the protagonist, not the villain.
Hmm my dream ensemble cast would be..
A Spike Jonze Film (would be different and original) with..
Sam Rockwell, Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman, Kate Winslet, Kevin Spacey, Naomi Watts, Marion Cotillard, and Dan Dreher 😛
Ha! I forgot to add myself on the list, too Dan, though I doubt the movie’ll get made if I’m in it. I’ll settle to be the screenwriter for my dream movie 😉
I don’t know about an ensemble, but I would cast lovely Kate Winslet in everyone of my movies.
Through Ewan McGregor, Joaquin Phoenix and Colin Firth into the mix. Maybe along with Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep. Wait, I think I’m just stating my favorite actors now…no, I don’t think I’d be a good casting agent…
Yeah, I don’t think I’d be a good casting agent either, as every movie will have the same people over and over again, ha! Oh, I wouldn’t mind having Phoenix and Firth to my dream ensemble cast as well. I’m really curious to see what Joaquin will do in his first flick back from ‘retirement!’
Well, Burton seems to do the same thing with Johny and Helena
Burton is fixated on them I think that they are all dare i say it lying on the same couch
Ahah, you both are so right. It’s as if Johnny is under contract that every other film he does must involve Burton 😀
I guess Burton finds him to be his…well, whatever the male equivalent of a muse is. I think Burton should do a film with his usual pair plus Nicholas Cage…the craziness in that would be off the charts
And speaking of Helena, i wonder if her wedding ceremony with Burton looked like one of his movies
Took me a while but here it is. Leads. Sandra Bullok, Sean Bean.
Supporting Ashley Judd, Rufus Sewell, Collin Ferrel (All around bad guy), Robert Downey Jr.(Bad guy buddy) And Gabriel Byrne Directing
Oooh, I would want Byrne to direct AND star in his movie as well, Kim 😉 Awesome cast, I’d totally watch this movie!!