“We’ll probably steal from the Judd Apatow Universe for some of the casting around [the lead parts], because we need funny people,” Greg Mottola told us when we hung out with him in March re: the casting of his upcoming buddies-on-a road-trip who-meet-an-alien film, “Paul,” starring Brit duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (“Shaun of The Dead,” “Hot Fuzz”).
And it looks like the “Superbad” and “Adventureland” director wasn’t kidding. According to Variety, Seth Rogen has signed on to voice the titular alien in the film. Not only that, Mottola’s scored a coup of great comedic actors (and Apatow bit player) for the film including Jason Bateman (“Arrested Development”), Kristen Wiig (“Knocked-Up,” “Adventureland,”), Bill Hader (“Pineapple Express,” “Adventureland” and Jane Lynch (“Best In Show,” “Talladega Nights” and generally of the Christopher Guest milieu).
Man, damn fine casting and if this film wasn’t on your radar before it is now. File under, most anticipated 2010 (and note, Bateman and Wiig will play husband and wife in the upcoming Mike Judge comedy, “Extract”).
The story centers on two British sci-fi obsessives (Pegg & Frost) who take a road-trip across American to San Diego’s Comic-Con nerd mecca and on their way they meet an alien (now voiced by Rogen). Pegg and Frost wrote the script and though they normally work with director Edgar Wright (‘Fuzz,’ ‘Shaun’), he was busy prepping “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World,” and they met and became in synch with Mottola at an opportune time (when “Superbad” was first released and became a hit). Presumably, Bateman, Wiig, Hader and Lynch will play people the duo meet along the way on their journey.
At one point there was speculation on our part that Bill Hader might voice the alien and he hinted he’d be part of the film somehow, but at least he’s in there somewhere.
Back in March, Mottola described the film for us in more detail. “There will be some action moments, but a lot of it will be more handheld, low-key, conversational storytelling… for stretches at least. My joke is it’s [the classic Jack Nicholson ’60s film] ‘Five Easy Pieces’ with an alien,” he said. “There’s a fun factor to the film because it’s an alien and you can’t escape that and it has to be satisfying, but my goal is to make the audience stop thinking about it ten minutes after they meet him and really start to think about him as a character and a performance.”
Shooting begins in June and presumably the film will be ready for release next summer.