john hamburg Tagged Articles at Cinematical
SXSW Review: I Love You, Man
Filed under: Comedy », SXSW », Theatrical Reviews »
Up until now, Paul Rudd has been content to sit in the back seat. Apart from a funny but nondescript star turn in Role Models, Rudd has mostly bided his time on the fringes of the various Team Apatow productions, churning out one memorable supporting performance after another, plus the occasional bit part in the likes of Night at the Museum. That he's developed a small but enthusiastic fanbase anyway speaks to his star potential.
I Love You, Man is a sweet, amusing, and perfectly acceptable comedy all around, but it's exciting because it marks the point where Rudd finally begins to stake out his territory as a comedian and a leading man. As Peter Klaven, the happy and level-headed real estate agent who discovers, upon proposing to his girlfriend of eight months, that his total lack of guy friends will result in an all-female wedding party if he doesn't act fast, Rudd combines a nice-guy earnestness with a simmering nervous energy – he's like a less sarcastic Albert Brooks or a more self-conscious Steve Martin.
Oh, WHO Will Direct the New 'Fockers' Flick?
Filed under: Comedy », Remakes and Sequels »
Looks like the third entry in the endless mirth-fest that is the Fockers franchise will need a new director. According to the Risky Biz blog, mega-successful comedy helmer Jay Roach will NOT be returning to direct (as he did on the amusing Meet the Parents and the execrable Meet the Fockers), although screenwriter John Hamburg will be returning to stretch this single gag into a full trilogy.The blog mentions a few possible candidates in David Wain (Role Models), Peyton Reed (Down With Love), and Paul Weitz (About a Boy), but c'mon: A high-end tripod could probably direct this big-screen sitcom schtick. Plus this looks to be a comedy version of the Mummy franchise: Same director for Parts 1 and 2, and then in comes a new guy and ... somehow things get even worse. I'm guessing Meet the Little Focker (or whatever they're calling it) will go to Adam Shankman or Howard Deutch or someone else with an empty spot in their calendar, and the thing will make $200 million regardless. Terrence Malick could do the job and it wouldn't make one spot of difference at the box office.
So yeah: Little Focker is still coming. Maybe this time out they'll get SIX Oscar winners in the cast, only to upstage them with a pooping cat or a farting baby.
Paul Rudd Woos Jason Segel in Trailer for 'I Love You, Man'
Filed under: Comedy », SXSW », Dreamworks », Trailers and Clips »
Just days after it played BNAT and was announced as the opening night film for SXSW 2009, I Love You, Man has a new trailer over at Yahoo! Movies, and as much of an admitted man-crush as I have on Paul Rudd, I'm not entirely sold on his fledgling bromance with potential best man Jason Segel. Talented riffers though they may be, the script is formally credited to director John Hamburg, whose Along Came Polly came to mind with this trailer's flatulence observation.Eh, we both know I'd give a cast that included those two, SNL's Andy Samberg, and The Office's Rashida Jones the benefit of the doubt and about ninety or so of my minutes. For what it's worth, a pal in Austin caught a recent test screening and somewhat shared Scott's sentiments on the film, among them: "This affable farce has next to nothing in the plot department, and much of the material (both good and not-so-good) feels improvised rather than written, but (like Rudd's previous flick, Role Models) there's certainly enough to enjoy."
I Love You, Man opens SXSW on March 13th before going wide a week later.
Jake Gyllenhaal's Moon Movie Gets a New Writer
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Deals », Scripts »
It doesn't seem to be easy to get to the moon, even with the Prince of Persia attached for the ride. The Hollywood Reporter has posted that the Jake Gyllenhaal's untitled lunar action movie, that he signed on for last year, is getting another rewrite. First, Doug Liman (Jumper), who will direct the film, teamed up with John Hamburg (his cousin, and Along Came Polly writer/director) to whip up the story and write the script. Then, the author of Black Hawk Down, Mark Bowden, revamped it. Now, Dan Mazeau has signed on to "bring it in for a landing with a different take 'based on an original story by Liman, Bowden, and Simon Kinberg.'" Apparently something isn't working quite right, although I imagine there has to be something tasty in there somewhere since Gyllenhaal signed on.
What this story covers remains to be seen. All THR says about the plot is that it's an "action film about lunar colonization." IMDb adds a little more, describing it as "An action film centered around one crew's expedition to the moon during a time of frenzied interest in lunar colonization." So, stay tuned for some sort of action-packed, Jake-led, lunar colonization on the big screen, should this rewrite work out.
Paul Rudd Says 'I Love You, Man'
Filed under: Comedy », Casting », Dreamworks »
There are some actors who need to stick to playing supporting roles. Paul Rudd is not one of them -- he is good-looking and perfectly capable of being a lead -- but that doesn't mean I can't prefer him as the leading man's buddy, or as the romantic opposition, or as a member of an hilarious ensemble. But as goofy as the guy is, we have to remember that he was once just that love interest/step-brother for Alicia Silverstone in Clueless. Fortunately, as Rudd appears to grow in Hollywood status, starring in his own vehicles, he seems to be choosing movies that relate more to his work with Judd Apatow, Adam McKay and the Stella guys than to run of the mill romantic comedies. His latest to be announced is called I Love You, Man, which makes one think of the joke in Wayne's World about platonic love between two grown men (" I LOVE you, man"). And, what do you know? I Love You, Man is in fact about platonic love between two grown men. According to Variety, the movie is about a guy (Rudd), who is about to get married, but who doesn't have a male friend who can serve as his best man. So, he seeks one out and eventually finds gangly Jason Segal of TV's How I Met Your Mother (and Knocked Up, which co-starred Rudd).
Jake Gyllenhaal Goes to the Moon
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Dreamworks »
I'm probably one of the biggest Doug Liman supporters -- even if I do get crap for loving Mr. & Mrs. Smith -- so I get excited about every new project announced with his name attached. I'm even looking forward to a new Knight Rider TV movie (possibly pilot) I just read about that Liman will helm for NBC. He says that it will have a tone somewhere between The Bourne Identity and Smith, and will featuring a morphing KITT. Even if I didn't like Liman's work, I'd be curious. Liman also called the original Knight Rider "the Shakespeare of our generation." But I hope he was joking.According to Variety, the director has another movie on the fast-track at Dreamworks that will star Jake Gyllenhaal. The untitled project (being called "Untitled Moon Project"), will be Liman's first attempt at outer-space science fiction, and its plot will focus on a private expedition to the moon to set up a Lunar colony. As much as I can tell, this will also be Gyllenhaal's first time costumed in a space suit, which should bring him back to his glory days as the Bubble Boy.
Liman co-wrote the original script for the project, along with his cousin, writer-director John Hamburg (Along Came Polly). However, it's now being re-written by author Mark Bowden, who wrote the source material for Black Hawk Down and Joe Carnahan's in-development Pablo Escobar movie, Killing Pablo. Liman, Alli Shearmur and Simon Kinberg will produce the film, which will presumably begin shooting as soon as Gyllenhaal is done with Brothers.
Meet the Secret Agent Men
Filed under: Comedy », Deals », Universal », Scripts », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand »
Having written the screenplays for Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers and Along Came Polly (which he also directed), it's obvious John Hamburg has an eye for comedy, as well as starring vehicles for Ben Stiller. Now it looks like Hamburg will take on two more directing gigs for Universal (did the studio officially adopt him or what?), one of which he wrote himself and the other appears to be a collaboration.
Based on a pitch by Hamburg, Scott Turpel and Kyle Pennekamp, Universal has picked up the buddy action comedy Secret Agent Men, a project Hamburg will direct, while Turpel and Pennekamp pen the script. Story is being kept under wraps right now (dare I say it's a secret), though something tells me Stiller's name will circle one of the starring roles. However, Hamburg's other film (which he'll direct first), The Troubleshooter, is currently searching for its cast, so I guess now it's a question of whether or not Stiller will show up in just one or both films?
And speaking of Stiller, what happened to the guy? Is it just me, or are his role choices progressively getting worse?
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