Friday, June 10, 2011

Judd Apatow adds to the cast of his next directorial effort...

...and Variety has the details:

Capitalizing on his breakout perf in Universal's "Bridesmaids," Irish thesp Chris O'Dowd is in negotiations to reteam with the studio and producer Judd Apatow, whose next untitled comedy also includes previous collaborators Lena Dunham and Charlyne Yi. Wyatt Russell, the son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, is also in negotiations to join the ensemble.

Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann are set to reprise the husband-and-wife roles they played in Apatow's "Knocked Up." They'll be joined by Megan Fox and Albert Brooks, who will play Rudd's father.

O'Dowd and Dunham will play employees of Rudd's indie record company, while Russell will play a hockey player. Yi will reprise her "Knocked Up" character, Jodi.

O'Dowd has entertained a tidal wave of offers since playing Kristen Wiig's law-enforcing love interest in Universal's Apatow-produced "Bridesmaids." Laffer recently crossed the $100 million mark. He previously appeared in "Dinner for Schmucks" and just starred in BBC mini "The Crimson Petal and the White." Irish thesp has worked with Fox before, having recently wrapped Jennifer Westfeldt's indie comedy "Friends With Kids."

Dunham and Apatow are exec producing the upcoming HBO series "Girls," which Dunham also wrote, directed and stars in, just as she did the Indie Spirit Award winner "Tiny Furniture." Yi is an accomplished standup comic who recently starred opposite Michael Cera in the Sundance award-winning feature "Paper Heart," while Russell will soon be seen in DreamWorks/Universal's summer tentpole "Cowboys and Aliens."

UTA reps all four thesps, as well as Apatow. O'Dowd is also repped by 3 Arts Entertainment and U.K.-based Gordon & French, while Mosaic reps Yi.

-Joey's Two Cents: I really liked O'Dowd in Bridesmaids, so I'm a big fan of his casting...thoughts?

6 comments:

  1. This is a flick I'm eagerly awaiting...

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  2. DEAR GOD NOT CHARLYNE YI! She was one of the most annoying characters in film history in Knocked Up and now (seeing that I don't miss a Judd Apatow flick) I have to see her again.

    I don't know what it is but that girl is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I can't even stand to hear her in interviews, but hey that's just me.

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  3. I didn't love her movie Paper Heart, but she doesn't especially bother me.

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  4. I would be happier about this cast if it were sans Lena Dunham. Hopefully her narcissism and phony self-loathing doesn't sink this film the way it did Tiny Furniture.

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  5. I didn't dislike Tiny Furniture, but one assumes Apatow will write her in a less abrasive way.

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  6. Sounds good to me. I'll watch anything that Apatow directs or produces.

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