With “Bridesmaids” a bonafide runaway success — $126 million and counting — it didn’t take long for Universal to re-up with director Paul Feig and producer Judd Apatow signing the pair a new film that has so far been described simply as “an unconventional love story.” But it looks like it’s a project that Feig has been hinting out throughout the spring.
Deadline reports that Jon Hamm and Melissa McCarthy — two of the major scene stealers in “Bridesmaids” — are the “template” for the lead characters in the currently untitled film that “is about a guy who becomes obsessed with a woman.” All the way back in March, Feig had noted he was developing a vehicle for Hamm saying, “He’s always wanted to do comedy. One of the next things I’m developing a project for him to star in. I think he’s so funny. He’s like Cary Grant to me.”
As for McCarthy she has easily become the single and unexpected breakout star of the ensemble, so no surprise that Feig/Apatow want to give her a bigger spotlight in which to shine. Back in May, Feig revealed he was developing a project for her too. “If an actress like Melissa becomes a huge star? THAT is a world I want to live in,” Feig said at the time. It doesn’t take much to connect the dots and it’s probably a pretty sure bet that they are all one in the same movie, and that project is now being housed at Universal. But of course, specifics of the story are being kept under wraps for now.
As Deadline notes, this is all very early and nothing formal is happening just yet but the promise of those two going toe-to-toe in a movie together is pretty awesome. If you haven’t seen “Bridesmaids” you might be better off using that money you were gonna spend on “Green Lantern” and checking it out instead. It’s currently playing nationwide.