Nicholas Stoller Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Script Review for 'The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time'
Filed under: Comedy », Disney », RumorMonger », Scripts », Family Films », Remakes and Sequels »
If you are even half as obsessed with the Muppets as I am, then you probably couldn't be happier that Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller are bringing them back to the big screen. Last year, Segel had confirmed that they were half way through a script, and now a source at AICN by the name of The Great Gonzo claims to have gotten a look at the finished product. The film has the working title of The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time, and there is a little good and bad in the early review, so let's start with the good news first, shall we?According to AICN's source, the heart of the story is pretty close to what Segel told us back in 2008. The story centers on Kermit having to reunite the old gang to save the studio, and hearkens back to the glory days of Muppet movies with the classic characters front and center. But, it's not all sunshine and roses from AICN's scooper, since they also claim that there are some flat sections to the story and some of the references are just plain outdated. The script review also goes into some pretty specific descriptions of the various cameos and is definitely spoiler heavy, so if you want to avoid ruining the fun, I suggest you tread carefully.
I grew up wanting to live in that old theater with Kermit and company, and my Animal drum set was my favorite childhood toy -- I was absolutely addicted. But I grew up, and while the later Muppet films were always good for a laugh, it just wasn't the same. Thankfully, now that the franchise is in the hands of a true believer like Segel, I'm pretty sure we have nothing to worry about - I mean, as long as Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem remain intact, I'll be good.
Gulliver is Traveling Back to the Big Screen with Jack Black
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Scripts », Remakes and Sequels »
Move over, Ted Danson and Richard Harris -- there's a new Lemuel Gulliver in town! I guess going all the way back to Year One wasn't enough for Jack Black, because Variety reports that Twentieth Century Fox has grabbed the actor to star in a remake of the classic Gulliver's Travels, getting all tall in Lilliput. Rob Letterman (Shark Tale) is directing the film, from a script by Nicholas Stoller and Joe Stillman.This incarnation is said to be a "contemporary reimagining," which means -- Lemuel will be "a free-spirited travel writer" rather than a surgeon, who goes on assignment to the Bermuda Triangle, only to wash ashore on the hidden island of Lilliput. There, as we all know, he comes across "a population of industrius, yet tiny, people."
With Black on board, and being all "modernized," I think it's safe to assume that this will be more slapstick and silly than Swiftian social commentary. But really, I don't get the appeal. Is the material really asking for a reimagining, and when did old-school stories better left in the past suddenly become such hot property? (Three Stooges)
I'm not so sure about all of this, but what do you think? Will Black make a good, modern, Lemuel Gulliver? And moreover, if they're reimagining this sucker, shouldn't he get a more modern name?
Apatow and Stoller Reteam for 'Sarah Marshall' Follow-Up!
Filed under: Comedy », Casting », Deals »
Oh man -- I watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall again over the weekend (I first saw it at SXSW back in March) and the laughs held up beautifully; it really is a comic treasure, even if it does suffer a bit from the typical Apatow bloat. So this is great news for me: director Nicholas Stoller is reteaming with Judd Apatow for Get Him to the Greek, a comedy starring Sarah Marshall's Jonah Hill and Russell Brand. Hill will play a young insurance adjuster assigned to get a wild rock star (Brand) from London to LA's Greek Theater for a gig. I don't dispense headline exclamation points willy-nilly, so you know I'm excited.The idea was apparently hatched at a Sarah Marshall table read, where Hill and Brand exhibited a surprising chemistry. They only had a few scenes together in that film, and since I thought Hill's character was generally a weak spot, I spent most of those scenes being mildly annoyed. But I've seen Superbad, so I know that Hill has the funny, and Brand, whom I had never heard of before Sarah Marshall, has some of the movie's biggest laughs. So: more, please.
Stoller will write Get Him to the Greek in addition to getting back in the director's chair. He has some other projects in the works, including Five Year Engagement, which he will direct and co-write with Jason Segel. He's also working with Segel on his planned Muppet movie. And he co-wrote the screenplay for Jim Carrey's Yes Man, due in December. Busy guy; lucky, too.
Review: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Filed under: Comedy », Romance », New Releases », Theatrical Reviews », New in Theaters »
Most conversations about Forgetting Sarah Marshall -- the new Judd Apatow-produced comedy about a devastating breakup -- are going to start with the penis shot. Sure, there have been willies in the movies before -- hell, there have been dongs in Apatow productions before (see Walk Hard). But a johnson this prominently featured, and in a mainstream romantic comedy? It breaks new ground. And not only is it funny, it's the perfect visual representation of what a guy goes through when he gets dumped. The film's star, Jason Segel, is stripped bare literally and figuratively -- exposed, embarrassed, emasculated. It's a comedy moment for the history books. I just wish I could say the rest of the film is as bold, as brave, as ... ballsy as that penis.
Oh, don't get me wrong. Sarah Marshall is a very funny movie. But its faults -- its sagginess, its tendency to let improvisation roll past the point of laughter, its relationships that often don't ring true -- are what separate this Judd Apatow production from a Judd Apatow film.
Interview with Nicholas Stoller, Director of 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'
Filed under: Comedy », Romance », New Releases », Scripts », New in Theaters », Interviews »
Forgetting Sarah Marshall finds Jason Segel vacationing in Hawaii to forget the girl (Kristen Bell) who just dumped him. Alas, she's at the same resort with her new beau! It's the latest comedy from the Apatow camp, and it hits theaters this weekend. Cinematical spoke one-on-one with the film's director, Nicholas Stoller, regarding the movie, his upcoming Muppet project, and how much onscreen penis is too much onscreen penis.
Cinematical: Is it intimidating for you knowing that every movie associated with Apatow these days is such a comedy event? Does that put pressure on you as the director to live up to that standard?
Nicholas Stoller: Not really, I'm still excited I got to make a movie, so I'm not really thinking in terms of if it's going to be a big event. Our movie was cheap so we don't have to make up that much money. It amuses me, and I hope that it amuses more people.
Cinematical: It amused me, so there's one extra person anyway.
NS: We have you and me and we just need 30 million more Americans.
First Trailer for Judd Apatow's 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'
Filed under: Comedy », Romance », Fandom », DIY/Filmmaking », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
Access Hollywood premiered the first trailer for the next Judd Apatow-produced comedy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and while it doesn't quite look like an Apatow film right now (with the exception of his regulars all showing up), remember that this is the made-for-TV trailer that probably can't include the film's greatest bits. This time Jason Segel (who wrote the script) is in the lead, and he plays a guy who's having one heckuva hard time forgetting his ex-girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). When he's advised to take a trip to Hawaii to help mend his open wounds, he accidentally winds up staying at the same hotel as Sarah and her new wacked-out celebrity boyfriend.
Based on the trailer, it looks to be Apatow's most cookie-cutter of all his films, but like I said before, they'll come out with a red-band trailer and this will look like a completely different movie. Regardless, you still have performances from the reliable Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, Bill Hader and adorable Mila Kunis -- not to mention the flick is directed by Nicholas Stoller (Undeclared) -- so hopes are still pretty high. Forgetting Sarah Marshall arrives in theaters on May 30, and you can watch the trailer above. Let us know what you think.
Has Chris Evans Won Captain America's Shield?
When Netflix Isn't Enough
Full-Length 'Predators' Trailer Debuts
Frankenstein is 100 Years Old! Watch His First Movie Now!
Bryan Singer May Direct 'X-Men 4' and 'Wolverine 2'
_thumbnail.jpg)
_thumbnail.jpg)
