Some analysts have called “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas” a financial disappointment because of its $13.1 million opening weekend. Considering the film cost $20 million to make, it may be a disappointment, but it’s still a success for New Line Cinema and its parent company Warner Bros. as it will likely wind up turning a modest little profit, before generating money endlessly every holiday season for years to come.
Clearly pleased as punch with his work, WB are talking to ‘Harold & Kumar’ helmer Todd Strauss-Schulson about directing one of the studio’s top projects, the action comedy “Family Getaway.” The film’s title works on two levels as it tells the “story of a family that discovers its patriarch is an assassin when a rival killer shows up, turning a vacation into a cross-country car chase.”
We read the script over the summer when Jake Kasan (“Zero Effect,” "Bad Teacher”) was attached to direct, and found it to be "strong" delivering “a consistently funny road trip with enormous commercial appeal.” We described it as “The Bourne Identity” meets “Little Miss Sunshine” and found it be a firm R-rated picture, but imagined a possible PG-13 re-write. Now that the project has had two directors attached—and all of those development dollars spent tailoring the project to their needs—the hire of Strauss-Schulson seems to suggest that Warners wants to keep things filthy.
This writer enjoyed the latest ‘Harold & Kumar’ much more than his colleagues, but either way, it will be interesting to see if Strauss-Schulson can put his fingerprint on "Family Getaway." He is certainly a director with potential. He first got noticed directing the short “Mano-A-Mano,” which was screened at the 2008 SXSW, and showed a real sharp eye for pacing and directing, as well as just being very funny. Check it out below. [THR]