stephen merchant Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Having co-created "The Office" (the original) and "Extras" (which I've had sitting on my shelf to watch for ages now), Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have most recently seen fit to co-write and direct their first film together, the seventies-set Cemetery Junction. With filming just having begun less than a month ago, though, the duo has nonetheless whipped up a brief but funny teaser trailer with the help of star Ralph Fiennes -- an actor not exactly known for his comedic prowess...

(You know what? Scratch that: all his guff served In Bruges and that Wallace & Gromit movie quite well.)

Also starring Emily Watson, Matthew Goode, and (yes) Gervais and Merchant themselves, Cemetery Junction should hit theaters at some point in 2010 (the UK has an April date, so here's hoping the US release is similarly spring-like). With any luck, maybe they'll coax their colleagues into similarly amusing appearances before the film's finished.

Watch the teaser trailer after the jump

It's not like my love of British comedian Ricky Gervais is a secret around these parts. No worries, though I'll be keeping my inner fangirl at bay, and you don't need to worry about this turning into a 'gush-fest'. The first trailer for The Invention of Lying has debuted over at Yahoo! Movies UK and we have our first glimpse at the story of an alternate universe where human beings have never learned the art of deception. Gervais plays a man working in the film industry who becomes the inventor of lying, and quickly uses his newfound skill for romantic and financial gain.

Gervais seems to have no trouble inspiring praise from his peers, and the cast list for Lying is proof of that comedy clout. Just some the names in the Lying cast are; Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., John Hodgman, Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jason Bateman. Gervais has even gotten his first advance review for Lying from J.J. Abrams, who said, "The Invention of Lying' is as funny as it is biting, wholly original, and surprisingly moving. Is there such thing as an important comedy? Turns out there is, and this is it." It's an unlikely source of praise, but after watching the trailer, I guess the big question is: could Abrams be right? The Invention of Lying arrives in theaters on September 25th, 2009.

After the jump: Gervais' working class 'dramedy', Cemetery Junction, goes into preproduction and Gervais stalks the paparazzi...

I think it's fairly safe to say that when Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant get together on a project, the outcome is nothing short of comedic gold. These are the men who brought us the original TV version of The Office, and they're also the guys who dreamt up the very awesome (but no longer around) HBO series Extras. These days, Gervais has officially crossed over to Hollywood, and he's starring in all kinds of films -- his latest being Ghost Town (which he just wrapped) and This Side of the Truth. Now, the BBC tells us that Gervais and Merchant are reuniting once again; this time, as writers on a film script.

As of right now, the working title for the film is The Men at the Pru, and according to the BBC, it's "about a group of 20-somethings in the early 1970s." Gervais notes, "They work for the building society and they're having a great time but it's about them coming of age and having to grow up." The idea of having to grow up is a constant theme in their work, but it will be interesting to see what Gervais and Merchant can do with a screenplay -- a feature film that clocks in at around an hour and a half or so. He adds, "We're really getting excited. We went down to the Prudential headquarters and got all this old footage so we're really getting into it." Gervais has only co-written one script so far, and that's the upcoming This Side of the Truth (which he's also co-directing). This new project will mark the first time the duo has teamed on the script for a feature. Unfortunately, there's no word yet on when The Men at the Pru will be ready for production. My only request is that they please please please give Merchant a starring role. That man is beyond hysterical.

I've watched the Extras Christmas Special twice now, and I still can't get through the end without crying. I'm so lame. I know this is TV related, but if you haven't watched Extras yet, do yourself a favor while on holiday break and check out both seasons (and the X-Mas special) of this amazing HBO show. Written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (both of whom brought us the Brit version of The Office), Extras is about just that -- Extras. Folks who spend their entire careers as the guy or girl in the background of a shot. Though it's only two seasons long, the show has a great story arc and while I would've loved for it to go longer, it definitely feels complete.

Aside from an excellent day-to-day cast (special kudos to Ashley Jensen), each episode also includes hilarious celebrity cameos -- all of whom are either obsessed with sex, obsessed with themselves or both. Clive Owen's cameo in the X-Mas special was absolutely friggin' priceless, and the same can be said for folks like Daniel Radcliffe, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Patrick Stewart, who have all appeared in various episodes as themselves. And speaking of Stewart, below you'll find one of my favorite scenes from Extras -- featuring Stewart -- which appeared in a pivotal episode that changed the scope of the entire show. I adore this scene, and it gives you a good taste of what to expect from the rest of the series. Anyway, I just felt like getting that out there. Go watch Extras. Gervais and Merchant are comedy Gods.