Reitman and Wilson Dig Bonzai Shadowhands
Filed under: Comedy, Casting, Deals, Scripts, Fox Searchlight, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand
Once he's finished tackling teen pregnancy with the up-and-coming Ellen Page and Juno, director Jason Reitman is looking to don his ninja outfit for a flick called Bonzai Shadowhands. Those of you who are big fans of the Americanized version of The Office will be happy to hear that the script is being written by Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight), as a starring vehicle for himself. Reitman will helm, as well as produce alongside his Hard C partner Daniel Dubiecki for Fox Searchlight.
As of now, the plot is being kept hush hush, however the Hollywood Reporter tells us the dark comedy will revolve around a "once-great ninja who is now living a life of mediocrity." It sounds a bit silly, but Reitman seems to have a good eye for material and, while his father dedicated most of his career to straight comedies, the younger Reitman seems like the kind of guy who wants to spice up the genre, concentrate more on story and character, as well as darken -- not lighten -- up the mood. And I dig that about him. In saying that, I'm not crazy about Wilson in The Office (Mackenzie Crook, in my mind, was so much better in the role), and never had a chance to see him in My Super Ex-Girlfriend. (In fact, it was on the set of Ex-Girlfriend where Wilson and Reitman first met.) Could Wilson, who spends most of his time playing the most annoying character on the face of the planet, successfully carry a film all on his own? Jason Reitman seems to think so -- what about you?










Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-20-2006 @ 3:36PM
Robin said...
Rainn Wilson is great on The Office. Don't compare him to Gareth and you'll be fine (they are different characters in a lot of ways).
Rainn was also great on Six Feet Under. I'm excited to see more work from him.
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11-20-2006 @ 3:21PM
Brendon Connelly said...
Shadow-L-ands? I thought it was Shadow-H-ands? Have I gotten it wrong?
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11-20-2006 @ 3:23PM
Erik Davis said...
Bah, yes. Thanks Brendon for pointing that out -- typo on my part.
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11-20-2006 @ 5:37PM
Elrond Hobbert said...
Rainn is funny. Buuut- lately his character on The Office is morphing into Waylon Smithers. A rather rote development.
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