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Emile Hirsch Cast as John Belushi For Untitled Biopic
(Source) “Emile Hirsch has been cast as John Belushi in Steve Conrad’s untitled biopic about the larger-than-life comic actor.
Emjag’s Alexandra Milchan, Bonnie Timmermann, Film 360′s Scott Lambert and Judy Belushi Pisano are producing. Belsuhi Pisano was the actor’s high school sweetheart and had been his wife for six years at the time of his death in 1982.
Filming will start in New York City in the spring. Hirsch will be 29 when production starts.
Conrad will direct from his own script, adapted from the 2005 biography “Belushi,” written by Belushi Pisano and Tanner Colby.
Belushi’s “Saturday Night Live” castmate and close friend Dan Aykroyd is exec producing.
The film will cover the heights of Belushi’s fame in “The Blues Brothers” as Jake Blues and “Animal House” as John Blutarsky along with being the biggest star on the first four seasons of “Saturday Night Live.” The series, which launched in 1975, included Belushi’s introductions of the Blues Brothers and Samurai Warrior characters along with memorable impressions of Wiliam Shatner, Joe Cocker, Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor.
The film will also cover his unexpected death at age 33 from an overdose of a mixture of cocaine and heroin at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles.
Hirsch will next be seen in the miniseries “Bonnie and Clyde” and in “Lone Survivor” opposite Mark Wahlberg. His credits include “Into the Wild,” “Killer Joe” and “Milk.”
Conrad wrote the screenplay for Ben Stiller’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”
Upcoming Film 360 projects include the untitled Steve Job biography, to be adapted by Aaron Sorkin; “Sesame Street”; and “Good People,” starring James Franco and Kate Hudson and currently in post-production.”
As a movie fan, this is a project to get excited about, and now that the main character has been cast, this untitled biopic has a chance to be great. Belushi was such a revolutionary figure in the television and movie world of the 1970s, so it’s nice to see his turbulent legacy will be celebrated on the big screen. Hirsch is as talented a young actor as there is in Hollywood, and I’m anxious to see how he begins to prepare for the role. It’s also always comforting to see that close friends and family are attached to the project. Let’s hope they get this one right and do the comic genius that was John Belushi justice.
– Ryan
Monsterblog Wednesday: Our Favorite Current SNL Cast Members
Saturday Night Live is just about back in full swing, after two solid episodes from Tina Fey and Miley Cyrus to start off the season. The big story heading into Season 39 was the cast overhaul that was forced upon Lorne Michaels due the departure of veteran cast members Jason Sudekis, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen. While the six new cast members have performed admirably over their inaugural episodes, there are also some veterans left over from previous seasons who have been thrust into the spotlight. The even mix of veteran and rookie performers could lead to a monster season for SNL, and we decided to pick our favorite male and female performer from this years cast.
Bobby Moynihan and Kate McKinnon
Bobby: Moynihan has been my favorite cast member for a few years now, and now that the heavy hitters are gone, it’s his time to shine. He seems to perform in almost every sketch, but really shines as the bumbling anchor in the Fox News sketch, and more notably as Drunk Uncle. Now that Stefon is gone, Drunk Uncle might be the best recurring character on Weekend Update.
Kate: McKinnon has slowly become a key player for SNL, and I’m of the opinion that this group of female SNL performers could turn out to be their best ever. It seems as if every impression she is scripted to do, she nails. Ellen DeGeneres and Jodie Foster are just a few of her spot on imitations. She’s also great on Weekend Update. Don’t take my word for it. Search Olya Povlatsky, the Russian immigrant, or Cecelia Gimenez, the Spanish women who defaced the Ecce Homo painting. She is far and away the most versatile performer on SNL, and her future is very bright.
– Ryan
Jay Pharoah and Nasim Pedrad
Jay: One of the most underrated personalties on Saturday Night Live is Jay Pharoah. This guy has impressions for days and is spot on with each one (Shannon Sharpe being his newest one, and probably most hilarious). While his on air talent is evident in the sketches he participates in, I didn’t realize how truly talented and creative he was until he got on Sway in the Morning:
Nasim: Besides the massive crush I have on Nasim, I really think she is one of the better females on Saturday Night Live today. She, like Jay, has a range of impressions that she nails in every skit. She is quick on her feet and has the intangible quality of looking like she isn’t reading off of a cue card (very similar to Taran Killam). Here is a video of her doing one of her best impressions, Kim K. Oh, and guess who plays Yeezy? You guessed it, Jay.
-MattyV
If This Picture Can’t Cheer You Up, Nothing Will
Our favorite idiots, Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunn, are back. Put another shrimp on the bobby!
– Ryan
P.S. It’s going to be weird seeing Jeff Daniels act so goofy. Will McAvoy is still so fresh in my mind.
Arsenio Hall Is Back
Arsenio might have been out of the game for awhile but he obviously hasn’t lost his touch. If you have a guy in the audience with an eye patch you have to find some way of getting him on the air. I don’t care if you need to rewrite the whole show. Find some way of getting him on air, preferably positioning him as some type of stalker. That’s just what Arsenio did. That stereotype will never get old. People with eye patches are the coolest and the creepiest people in the world. Takes a special gene to pull that off.
– Ryan
SNL Officially Announces New Cast Members
(Source) “When NBC’s Saturday Night Live kicks off Season 39, it will be with a sum total of six, not five, new featured players.
As previously rumored, AT&T pitchman Beck Bennett (pictured, right) and Kyle Mooney (who also perform with the sketch comedy group Good Neighbor), female impressionist Noël Wells and comedian John Milhiser are now confirmed to join the late-night sketch series’ ensemble. Also, SNL scribe Mike O’Brien will step in front of the cameras this season.
But in announcing on Monday the new on-camera additions, SNL lobbed another name into the mix: stand-up comedian Brooks Wheelan (pictured, left), who last month had been made a part of the show’s writing staff.
The official announcement comes on the heels of Lorne Michaels telling the New York Times that sophomore player Cecily Strong will co-anchor Weekend Update with Seth Meyers this season.
SNL returns Sept. 28, with host Tina Fey and musical guest Arcade Fire.”
There you have it. 6 fresh faces will be part of the 39th season of Saturday Night Live. While I’ve only seen Beck Bennett perform (I hope his legs aren’t as short as they look in those AT&T commercials), it’s hard not to trust Lorne Michaels and his staff when it comes to finding new comedic talent. Transitions are always tricky, especially in a show such as SNL, which relies heavily on the chemistry of it’s actors and actresses. And while we’ll definitely miss Armisen, Sudekis and Hader, the large void their departures created could produce the show’s next rising star. My money is on Bobby Moynahan, but no matter who steps up, Season 39 should be a doozy.
– Ryan
The King of Comedy is BACK, JACK!
Dave Chappelle is back! Last night he opened the Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Tour in Austin
He opens with “I have terrible news for the audience……I don’t have any material.” He performed for 45 minutes with a set that was very personal and that addressed his absence from comedy.
All I can say is…welcome back Dave, we have missed you.
-MattyV
Adam “The Snake Roberts” Devine Joins The Cast of Modern Family
“Are two Mannys too many for the Pritchett-Delgado household? We’ll find out on ABC’s Modern Family when Gloria (Sofia Vergara) hires a cute new male nanny to look after baby Joe. Adam DeVine (Comedy Central’s Workaholics, Pitch Perfect) has been cast in the recurring role. Executive producer Christopher Lloyd describes the manny as a nice guy from the Midwest who is “fun and matches Gloria’s energy in the house. But he doesn’t want to just take care of the baby. He wants to sort of revive the entire household, which leads to some territorial clashes with Jay [Ed O’Neill] and Manny [Rico Rodriguez].” – Huffington Post
First it was Anders Holm who guest starred on the ABC comedy as a potential buyer for Claire and Mitch’s flipped house. Now it appears Adam Devine will join the cast of Modern Family as baby Joe’s male nanny. Another big step for the Workaholics gang, who are hands down three of the funniest guys on TV today. In the words of Blake:
– Ryan
Donald Glover A.K.A Childish Gambino Creating New Series For FX
“Donald Glover has lined up his followup series to Community. The actor-comedian is set to write, executive produce and play the lead in a half-hour comedy, which has landed at FX for development. Tentatively entitled Atlanta, the comedy is set against the backdrop of the Atlanta music scene. Glover grew up in Atlanta and has an active music career as a hip-hop artist, stage name Childish Gambino. I hear several networks were interested in Atlanta but, in addition to the FX comedy brand, Glover also was attracted by the network’s willingness to accommodate his music touring schedule. Glover is free and clear to topline Atlanta as he is no longer a regular on Community and is set to appear in five of the 13 episodes of the cult NBC comedy’s upcoming fifth season. Last season, Glover was attached in second position to an NBC comedy project penned by Matt Hubbard. Glover, repped by CAA, The Schiff Co. and attorney Lev Ginsburg, started off as a writer on 30 Rock before landing the breakout role on Community as former high school quarterback-turned-air conditioning repair annex recruit Troy Barnes. He also has headlined two standup comedy specials.” – Deadline
While the details are still relatively unknown, this is a huge step for one of my favorite actors/musicians and someone very high on my “Please Host SNL List”. Glover knows comedy. Gambino knows music. What better mix than a comedic show about the Atlanta music scene? FX is a perfect network for a young mind such as Glover’s, as they’ve been known to give show runners creative control over their projects (just ask Louie C.K.). Glover’s series will join an already stacked lineup of original FX shows including Louie, Justified and Sons of Anarchy. One more reason to get excited for the future of TV.
– Ryan
