Ahh, the left-field success of “The Hangover.” Warner Bros. (who are having a fairly killer year) obviously had an inkling that the Todd Phillips film would do well, they practically green-lit a sequel months before the film hit theaters, but did they ever expect that after almost six weeks of release they’d have grossed $300 million worldwide and $226 million with North America?
Crazy numbers. Now Phillips and the cast (which includes Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis) essentially have the pick of the litter of projects (and both Galifinakis and Phillips have set up a few, plus there is a ‘Hangover 2′ eventually) but the director seems to be using his juice to fuel all the various and myriad projects he’s had kicking around for the last few years.
His most recent one is called, wait for it… “Staycation.” $100 bucks says someone thought, “great buzzword title for a movie, let’s write something based off that.” According to Variety, Phillips has hired Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay to write the script which not surprisingly doesn’t have a logline yet, but it’s apparently going to be a “male-laffer.” Translation: exactly as we said, “Great title! Write something funny based off this sketch!”
Whatever, more power to him. If anyone can make a half-baked idea seem funny its Phillips and presumably his writers will be channeling his ideas.
Manfredi and Hay wrote Phillips long-gestating project “Man-Witch” (that both Jack Black and Galifinakis passed on) and the trade says the bro-town filmmaker is looking to set up multiple projects with friends ala the Judd Apatow factory. Makes sense and is not a bad idea at all.
On to ‘Hangover’ star Ed Helms. He’s attached himself to star in “Cedar Rapids,” a road-trip comedy to be directed by Miguel Arteta (“Chuck & Buck,” the upcoming, “Youth In Revolt” with Michael Cera) and produced by Alexander Payne. According to THR, the plot centers on a “wholesome and naive small-town Wisconsin man (Helms), who, when his role model dies, must represent his company at a regional insurance conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where his mind is blown by the big-town experience.” Apparently it was a script written on spec and the project could land at Fox Searchlight because of Payne’s deal there.