michael mccullers Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Mike Myers Writing 'Austin Powers 4'?
Filed under: Comedy », RumorMonger », Scripts »
What do you do when your new movie turns into one of the biggest bombs of the summer? You go back to what you know. Take this rumor for what it's worth -- probably not much given its "anonymous insider" source -- but the word is that Mike Myers has shaken off (or maybe learned from) the disaster that was The Love Guru, and has set to writing a fourth Austin Powers flick. According to the same rumor, he'll be collaborating on the screenplay with Michael McCullers, the SNL vet who wrote and made his directing debut with this year's considerably more successful Baby Mama. The plot will have a "father and son theme loosely based on his own life" (??!!) which suggests a prominent place in the cast for Seth Green.I didn't think The Love Guru was very funny -- and neither did anyone else, I don't think -- but I did appreciate how giddy Myers got about fart jokes and lame double entendres. Genuine enthusiasm can go a long way in comedy, and Myers has never lacked for that, which is largely the reason why I'm not ready to give up on him just yet. Well, and also the fact that I thought all three of the Powers movies were pretty good.
And I'll say this: I laughed at the Guru Pitka's use of "Mariska Hargitay" as a patented mantra. Sue me.
'Baby Mama' Trailer Arrives Online
Filed under: Comedy », Fandom », Trailer Trash », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
Moviefone is hosting our first look at the new trailer for Baby Mama, starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Looking to capitalize on the very-hot-right-now pregnancy theme, Tina Fey plays a successful (yet still single) businesswoman who's having trouble getting pregnant on her own. When she learns how expensive a surrogates fee can be ($100,000), she begins to explore other options ... like allowing a sleazy-looking slacker (Poehler) to carry the baby for her. What follows appears to be a pretty cute buddy flick co-starring two of the funnier and more talented comedic actresses working today. I especially like the scene with Dax Shepard (who plays Poehler's husband/boyfriend), and I hope he shows up more than a few times throughout. Sigourney Weaver, Greg Kinnear, Maura Tierney and Romany Malco also star, while Michael McCullers (of Austin Powers fame) wrote and directs. Baby Mama will arrive in theaters this April 25, and you can check out the trailer above or head on over to Moviefone to watch it in glorious HD.
Greg Kinnear & Maura Tierney Sign Onto Tina Fey's 'Baby Mama'
Filed under: Comedy », Casting »
If you're a fan of Saturday Night Live, especially under the pen of Tina Fey, you wouldn't need any other reason to see Baby Mama than its stars -- Fey and her old Weekend Update co-anchor, Amy Poehler. But the comedic brew was even further sweetened by Sigourney Weaver, and then the addition of Dax Shepard (Idiocracy). Now The Hollywood Reporter says there are two more to add to the mix -- Greg Kinnear and Maura Tierney. Kinnear, who recently shone as the failing motivator in Little Miss Sunshine, will play the male lead -- the owner of a fresh juice shop who gets close to Fey. Being one of the leads, does this mean she'll end up having a baby with him and giving up her career over love? Ugh, I hope not! Tierney, who just wrapped Semi-Pro, will play another role close to Fey's Kate -- the character's confident sister and mother of two.If you're fuzzy about the plot -- Mama is about a successful businesswoman (Fey) who wants a child, but not at the expense of her career. To avoid the whole maternity thing, she hires Poehler to be her surrogate, and Weaver's company represents the rented womb. The story seems good and there's a heck of a cast, so I'm feeling pretty psyched about this. However, I am a bit anxious that it's coming from the pen and directorial eye of Michael McCullers -- he's done work on SNL and Austin Powers, but he's also the guy who wrote Undercover Brother with John Ridley. If it's a solid success, I can only hope and imagine that it will become the new SNL-to-movie group, because the Sandler team should really take a break.
Sigourney Weaver In Talks to Join 'Baby Mama'
Filed under: Comedy », Casting »
Considering what a convincing badass Sigourney Weaver is, it's easy to forget that the lady can be funny. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Weaver is in talks to sign on to the Tina Fey and Amy Poehler comedy Baby Mama. Last month, Erik had news that the film was set to start shooting in NYC, so I guess the addition of Weaver is going to be the final piece of the puzzle. Written by Michael McCullers (an alum of SNL along with Fey and Poehler), the story focuses on a career woman with baby ambitions (Fey) who decides on the surrogate route. Weaver is angling to play the owner of the agency that represents Poehler's character. The premise might not sound hilarious on paper; but, I am a big enough fan of both Fey and Poehler, that I have some pretty high expectations of how funny it could be.Weaver has just finished work on the assassination drama Vantage Point, and will be providing the voice of the narrator in the animated film The Tale of Despereaux. But of course, the real news is her work on the highly-anticipated James Cameron film Avatar. Since Baby Mama is already scheduled to have started production, it looks like it could be a quick shoot or a relatively small part for the actress to fit into her schedule. Weaver has done a handful of comedies over the years, with varying success. Some of the high points include Ghostbusters and Galaxy Quest, but there has also been the occasional miss. I'll keep my fingers crossed that Baby Mama is not going to be one of the misses.
Tina Fey's 'Baby Mama' Kicks Into Production Next Month in NYC
Filed under: Comedy », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand »
If you enjoyed Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update back when it was hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, then you should no doubt be excited by the news that both gals will reunite for the film Baby Mama, which begins shooting next month in New York City. In the pic, Fey will play a single, successful executive for Happy Planet (which is described as a "Whole Foods-type grocery store") who desires a child of her own, but doesn't want the whole pregnancy thing to hinder her career. Thus, she hires a surrogate mother (Poehler) to do all the work ... and we get to watch the entire hilarious scenario unfold before our eyes. (Yes, in case you were wondering, this is a comedy.)
Michael McCullers will make his directorial debut on the pic (which he also wrote); this comes after a string of gigs that included penning the screenplays for two Austin Powers flicks, Undercover Brother and a number of SNL episodes. The built-in chemistry between Fey and Poehler -- coupled with their experience working with McCullers on SNL -- should benefit the film (we hope.) There haven't been any further casting announcements, though I'm sure a leading man (SNL vet, perhaps) will pop into the picture before production officially begins. Personally, I've never been a big fan of Tina Fey, though for some odd reason she's grown on me this past year due to repeat viewings of Mean Girls (which she wrote and also co-starred in.)Poehler, on the other hand, is the type of actress who deserves more work on the big screen -- her comedic style reminds me of a lighter, fluffier (and blonde!) version of Zooey Deschanel*. And, when you're being compared to Zooey, that can't be a bad thing.
*Cinematical Insiders Tip: A bunch of us here at the site are huge Zooey fans -- just so you know ...
Exclusive Sneak Peek at the 15th Annual Gen Art Film Festival
The Greatest Scenes Ever Shot?
Conan O'Brien Heads for the Big Screen
The Geek Beat: These Too Shall Cast
Insert Caption: The Runaways
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