Update: The Chris Farley Show, a film adaptation of the book by the late SNL star’s brother Tom, is a go. Deadline is reporting that New Line Cinema has acquired the rights and is full steam ahead on what could be a potential Oscar-play for the studio.
Original Story: Cruella and Cobra Kai actor Paul Walter Hauser is going from voicing Embarrassment in Pixar’s upcoming sequel Inside Out 2 to living in a van down by the river for the lead role in Josh Gad’s Chris Farley biopic. Hauser is stuffing himself into a little coat to play the legendary comedian, Saturday Night Live alum, and star of comedies like Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, and Beverly Hills Ninja. Josh Gad directs the Chris Farley biopic, with Lorne Michaels producing through his Broadway video studio.
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will pen the script based on the...
Original Story: Cruella and Cobra Kai actor Paul Walter Hauser is going from voicing Embarrassment in Pixar’s upcoming sequel Inside Out 2 to living in a van down by the river for the lead role in Josh Gad’s Chris Farley biopic. Hauser is stuffing himself into a little coat to play the legendary comedian, Saturday Night Live alum, and star of comedies like Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, and Beverly Hills Ninja. Josh Gad directs the Chris Farley biopic, with Lorne Michaels producing through his Broadway video studio.
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will pen the script based on the...
- 4/30/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
New Line Cinema has landed the Chris Farley biopic starring Paul Walter Hauser, in what Variety is told was a highly competitive situation.
The film, which has the blessing of the Farley family, will mark actor Josh Gad’s directorial debut, with Lorne Michaels and Erin David producing via Broadway Video.
Oscar and Emmy nominees Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will write the screenplay based on the New York Times best-selling biography “The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts” by Tom Farley Jr. (Chris Farley’s brother) and Tanner Colby.
Hauser, an Emmy, Critics’ Choice, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor for his role in “Black Bird,” will next be seen in Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” as the voice of Embarrassment. He will then appear opposite Matt Damon in Apple Original Films’ “The Instigators,” helmed by Doug Liman. He’s also set to lead Tony Tost...
The film, which has the blessing of the Farley family, will mark actor Josh Gad’s directorial debut, with Lorne Michaels and Erin David producing via Broadway Video.
Oscar and Emmy nominees Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will write the screenplay based on the New York Times best-selling biography “The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts” by Tom Farley Jr. (Chris Farley’s brother) and Tanner Colby.
Hauser, an Emmy, Critics’ Choice, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor for his role in “Black Bird,” will next be seen in Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” as the voice of Embarrassment. He will then appear opposite Matt Damon in Apple Original Films’ “The Instigators,” helmed by Doug Liman. He’s also set to lead Tony Tost...
- 4/30/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
After Deadline broke the news last week that New Line was in pole position to land the package A Chris Farley Story, the studio made it official today, having acquired the biopic starring Paul Walter Hauser as the legendary comedian. Josh Gad directs, with Lorne Michaels and Erin David producing via Broadway Video.
The pitch is based on the book by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby and will be adapted by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. This marks the second major package Warner Bros. has landed this week with the main studio acquiring Avengelyne which is being developed as a star vehicle for Margot Robbie.
The film would tell the story of one of the great comic actors of his generation. Getting his start in the second heyday of Saturday Night Live, where Farley would join an ensemble of all-time SNL greats including Adam Sandler,...
The pitch is based on the book by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby and will be adapted by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. This marks the second major package Warner Bros. has landed this week with the main studio acquiring Avengelyne which is being developed as a star vehicle for Margot Robbie.
The film would tell the story of one of the great comic actors of his generation. Getting his start in the second heyday of Saturday Night Live, where Farley would join an ensemble of all-time SNL greats including Adam Sandler,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
New Line Cinema proved to be more highly motivated than the rest of its competition in landing the forthcoming Chris Farley biopic that is set to star Paul Walter Hauser as the late comedy legend.
The company has landed director Josh Gad’s film following a highly competitive situation. Hauser, a recent Emmy winner for his work in Apple TV+’s Black Bird, will star as Farley, the Saturday Night Live standout and star of such films as Tommy Boy who died of a drug overdose in 1997 at age 33.
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (The Disaster Artist, Daisy Jones & The Six) are writing the screenplay based on Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby’s best-selling biography, The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts. The project has the blessing of the Farley family, with SNL creator Lorne Michaels and Erin David serving as producers for Broadway Video.
Farley...
The company has landed director Josh Gad’s film following a highly competitive situation. Hauser, a recent Emmy winner for his work in Apple TV+’s Black Bird, will star as Farley, the Saturday Night Live standout and star of such films as Tommy Boy who died of a drug overdose in 1997 at age 33.
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (The Disaster Artist, Daisy Jones & The Six) are writing the screenplay based on Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby’s best-selling biography, The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts. The project has the blessing of the Farley family, with SNL creator Lorne Michaels and Erin David serving as producers for Broadway Video.
Farley...
- 4/30/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: No decision has been made official, but sources tell Deadline that New Line is the favorite to land the package that is based on the biography The Chris Farley Show with Paul Walter Hauser attached to play the legendary comedian. The pitch is based on the book by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby and will be adapted by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber with Josh Gad directing. Lorne Michaels, who found and cast Farley in Saturday Night Live in the ’90s, is producing through his Broadway Video.
Insiders say the family has given their blessing to the project. The studio had no comment.
The film would tell the story of one of the great comic actors of his generation. Getting his start in the second heyday of Saturday Night Live, where Farley would join an ensemble of all-time SNL greats including Adam Sandler, David Spade,...
Insiders say the family has given their blessing to the project. The studio had no comment.
The film would tell the story of one of the great comic actors of his generation. Getting his start in the second heyday of Saturday Night Live, where Farley would join an ensemble of all-time SNL greats including Adam Sandler, David Spade,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr and Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Werner Herzog has revealed he’s part of the voice cast of Bong Joon Ho’s forthcoming animated feature, according to Variety. The fully CGI animation is a deep-sea adventure, featuring creatures and humans, specifically following an invertebrate deep-sea fish who believes he’s suffering from spinal disk herniation. One can learn more here about the project.
Peter Greenaway has begun shooting his untitled new feature in Lucca, Italy, with Dustin Hoffman, Helen Hunt, and Sofia Boutella leading the story “of an intelligent man whose final big adventure is intended to be his death. He wants to make it elegant and sensible. Tidy, with as few loose ends as possible,” Deadline reports.
Following up Last Night in Soho, Edgar Wright has set his next feature with the long-in-development Paramount remake of The Running Man, with Glen Powell set to star, Deadline notes, reportedly beating out the likes of Ryan Gosling,...
Peter Greenaway has begun shooting his untitled new feature in Lucca, Italy, with Dustin Hoffman, Helen Hunt, and Sofia Boutella leading the story “of an intelligent man whose final big adventure is intended to be his death. He wants to make it elegant and sensible. Tidy, with as few loose ends as possible,” Deadline reports.
Following up Last Night in Soho, Edgar Wright has set his next feature with the long-in-development Paramount remake of The Running Man, with Glen Powell set to star, Deadline notes, reportedly beating out the likes of Ryan Gosling,...
- 4/15/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Though the tide of late has turned more towards a Bohemian Rhapsody-powered focus on biopics of musicians, there is always room for other entertainers with particularly compelling stories. One such example is Saturday Night Live staple-turned-film comedy actor Chris Farley, whose star burned bright before it was snuffed out decades too early by excess and addiction. Paul Walter Hauser is now attached to star as Farley in the film to be directed by actor/producer and now filmmaker Josh Gad.
Farley, who initially had seemed destined to join his father in the oil business, was lured away by the thrill of performing, eventually ending up at Chicago's Second City improv troupe (which he joined the same day as fellow future comedy icon Stephen Colbert) and from there was recruited by Lorne Michaels for SNL.
A successful run on the show translated, as it often does, to film roles, and...
Farley, who initially had seemed destined to join his father in the oil business, was lured away by the thrill of performing, eventually ending up at Chicago's Second City improv troupe (which he joined the same day as fellow future comedy icon Stephen Colbert) and from there was recruited by Lorne Michaels for SNL.
A successful run on the show translated, as it often does, to film roles, and...
- 4/14/2024
- by James White
- Empire - Movies
A movie based on the life of the late Chris Farley is in the works!
On Friday (April 12), it was reported that a biopic about the legendary comedian and Saturday Night Live star is being directed by Josh Gad with Emmy-winning actor Paul Walter Hauser attached to star. The movie would mark Josh‘s directorial debut.
Keep reading to find out more…Entertainment Weekly reports that SNL boss Lorne Michaels will produce the project based on the New York Times bestselling biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts, which was written by Chris‘ brothers Tom Farley and Tanner Colby.
The biopic, which is said to have the Farley family’s blessing, is being written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber and is currently being shopped around.
Chris rose to fame as a key player on SNL, appearing on five seasons between 1990 and 1995. He sadly died of...
On Friday (April 12), it was reported that a biopic about the legendary comedian and Saturday Night Live star is being directed by Josh Gad with Emmy-winning actor Paul Walter Hauser attached to star. The movie would mark Josh‘s directorial debut.
Keep reading to find out more…Entertainment Weekly reports that SNL boss Lorne Michaels will produce the project based on the New York Times bestselling biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts, which was written by Chris‘ brothers Tom Farley and Tanner Colby.
The biopic, which is said to have the Farley family’s blessing, is being written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber and is currently being shopped around.
Chris rose to fame as a key player on SNL, appearing on five seasons between 1990 and 1995. He sadly died of...
- 4/12/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Saturday Night Live fans may soon have another reason to go to the movies, as a Chris Farley biopic is currently being shopped to studios by SNL creator Lorne Michaels.
It probably won’t take long for the project to find a home, as the biopic has already attracted an A-list team of players both in front of and behind the camera.
In addition to Michaels, Emmy-winning actor Paul Walter Hauser is attached to star as Farley. It’s truly a dream role for the Black Bird and Cobra Kai actor; back in 2021, Hauser told THR about how he’d once approached the Farley family about collaborating on a film about the late comedian, but that it ultimately didn’t work out.
The untitled project already has the Farley family’s blessing, as it will be adapted from The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts, the bestselling 2007 biography...
It probably won’t take long for the project to find a home, as the biopic has already attracted an A-list team of players both in front of and behind the camera.
In addition to Michaels, Emmy-winning actor Paul Walter Hauser is attached to star as Farley. It’s truly a dream role for the Black Bird and Cobra Kai actor; back in 2021, Hauser told THR about how he’d once approached the Farley family about collaborating on a film about the late comedian, but that it ultimately didn’t work out.
The untitled project already has the Farley family’s blessing, as it will be adapted from The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts, the bestselling 2007 biography...
- 4/12/2024
- by Jennifer M. Wood
- LateNighter
Paul Walter Hauser will slip into the life and mind of late comedian Chris Farley in a forthcoming biopic. The film, set to be directed by Josh Gad, is currently in development. Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will provide the screenplay based on the book The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts, published by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby in 2008.
The Chris Farley Show takes its name from a recurring sketch on Saturday Night Live. Before his untimely death at the age of...
The Chris Farley Show takes its name from a recurring sketch on Saturday Night Live. Before his untimely death at the age of...
- 4/12/2024
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
Chris Farley is coming back to the big screen via a biopic about the late comedian’s life and career, our sister site Deadline reports.
Paul Walter Hauser, whose work on Apple TV+’s Blackbird earned him a Primetime Emmy Award, is set to play Farley in the movie, which is being directed by Josh Gad. Lorne Michaels, credited for discovering Farley and giving him his big break on Saturday Night Live, will produce through Broadway Video.
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Paul Walter Hauser, whose work on Apple TV+’s Blackbird earned him a Primetime Emmy Award, is set to play Farley in the movie, which is being directed by Josh Gad. Lorne Michaels, credited for discovering Farley and giving him his big break on Saturday Night Live, will produce through Broadway Video.
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- 4/12/2024
- by Andy Swift
- TVLine.com
A biopic about the life of the late “Saturday Night Live” star Chris Farley is in the works, IndieWire has confirmed.
Emmy-winner Paul Walter Hauser is attached to star as Farley, and Josh Gad would direct the project. “SNL” producer Lorne Michaels is producing the feature biopic via his Broadway Video production banner. Gad, the Broadway star and “Frozen” actor, would make his feature directorial debut on the film.
Right now the project is just at the package stage and being presented to interested buyers looking to make it, but it surely will be an in-demand package that could go quickly and make this movie a reality sooner rather than later. It also helps that the Farley family has given its blessing to the project.
The currently untitled film is based on “The Chris Farley Show: A Biography In Three Acts” written by Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby that...
Emmy-winner Paul Walter Hauser is attached to star as Farley, and Josh Gad would direct the project. “SNL” producer Lorne Michaels is producing the feature biopic via his Broadway Video production banner. Gad, the Broadway star and “Frozen” actor, would make his feature directorial debut on the film.
Right now the project is just at the package stage and being presented to interested buyers looking to make it, but it surely will be an in-demand package that could go quickly and make this movie a reality sooner rather than later. It also helps that the Farley family has given its blessing to the project.
The currently untitled film is based on “The Chris Farley Show: A Biography In Three Acts” written by Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby that...
- 4/12/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
“Saturday Night Live” legend Chris Farley’s funny, sad, tragically brief life is getting the biopic treatment from producer Lorne Michaels and director Josh Gad, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning “Black Bird” star Paul Walter Hauser has been tapped to play Farley. The script is by “Daisy Jones & the Six” creators Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, and based on the bestselling book “The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts” by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby. “SNL” boss Michaels will produce through his Broadway Video banner. The project, which is being shopped to studios now, has the blessing of the Farley family.
Gad, who is best known for his performances in the Disney films “Frozen” and “Beauty and the Beast” and the Broadway shows “The Book of Mormon” and “Gutenberg! The Musical,” will be making his feature directorial debut with the biopic.
Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning “Black Bird” star Paul Walter Hauser has been tapped to play Farley. The script is by “Daisy Jones & the Six” creators Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, and based on the bestselling book “The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts” by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby. “SNL” boss Michaels will produce through his Broadway Video banner. The project, which is being shopped to studios now, has the blessing of the Farley family.
Gad, who is best known for his performances in the Disney films “Frozen” and “Beauty and the Beast” and the Broadway shows “The Book of Mormon” and “Gutenberg! The Musical,” will be making his feature directorial debut with the biopic.
- 4/12/2024
- by Liam Mathews
- Gold Derby
Here's a lesson for the kids out there: speak your dreams into existence and maybe, just maybe, they'll actually come true. Tragically, those who follow the comedy scene closely know that it's littered with high-profile examples of beloved talent who ended up burning out and leaving us far too soon. This one, however, might end up circling back to the best of silver linings.
Today's news has to do with Chris Farley, the late, great "Saturday Night Live" actor and comedian who passed away at the age of 33 back in 1997. He may not be as well-known a quantity among younger generations, but their older siblings and parents can certainly fill them in on the prolific, scene-stealing theatrics of the man who rose to prominence through "SNL" and subsequently made audiences cry with laughter in movies such as "Wayne's World" and its sequel, "Coneheads," "Airheads," and even an uncredited role in Adam Sandler's "Billy Madison.
Today's news has to do with Chris Farley, the late, great "Saturday Night Live" actor and comedian who passed away at the age of 33 back in 1997. He may not be as well-known a quantity among younger generations, but their older siblings and parents can certainly fill them in on the prolific, scene-stealing theatrics of the man who rose to prominence through "SNL" and subsequently made audiences cry with laughter in movies such as "Wayne's World" and its sequel, "Coneheads," "Airheads," and even an uncredited role in Adam Sandler's "Billy Madison.
- 4/12/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
A Chris Farley biopic is in the works, with Josh Gad set to direct.
In the hot package being shopped around town, Emmy, Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe Award winner Paul Walter Hauser is attached to star as the legendary comedian. There’s no word yet on where the project will land, but it’s sure to attract a slew of bidders.
The film will adapt best-selling biography “The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts” by Tom Farley Jr. (Chris Farley’s brother) and Tanner Colby. Lorne Michaels, who cast Farley on “Saturday Night Live,” is producing via Broadway Video.
Oscar and Emmy nominees Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber will write the screenplay.
Before his tragic death in 1997 of a drug overdose, Farley rose to fame during his five-season stretch on “Saturday Night Live.” During that time, he starred in beloved sketches including “Lunch Lady Land” with Adam Sandler,...
In the hot package being shopped around town, Emmy, Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe Award winner Paul Walter Hauser is attached to star as the legendary comedian. There’s no word yet on where the project will land, but it’s sure to attract a slew of bidders.
The film will adapt best-selling biography “The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts” by Tom Farley Jr. (Chris Farley’s brother) and Tanner Colby. Lorne Michaels, who cast Farley on “Saturday Night Live,” is producing via Broadway Video.
Oscar and Emmy nominees Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber will write the screenplay.
Before his tragic death in 1997 of a drug overdose, Farley rose to fame during his five-season stretch on “Saturday Night Live.” During that time, he starred in beloved sketches including “Lunch Lady Land” with Adam Sandler,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
Now here is a package coming together that is sure to set the town and market on fire. Deadline is hearing that a script based on The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts is being shopped with Paul Walter Hauser attached to play the iconic late comic and actor.
Josh Gad will direct with Lorne Michaels, who found and cast Farley in Saturday Night Live in the ’90s, producing through his Broadway Video. The package will be sold as a pitch based on the book with Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber penning the script.
Based on the biography by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby — insiders say the family has given their blessing to the project — the film would tell the story of one of the great comic actors of his generation. Getting his start in the heyday of Saturday Night Live, where Farley...
Josh Gad will direct with Lorne Michaels, who found and cast Farley in Saturday Night Live in the ’90s, producing through his Broadway Video. The package will be sold as a pitch based on the book with Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber penning the script.
Based on the biography by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby — insiders say the family has given their blessing to the project — the film would tell the story of one of the great comic actors of his generation. Getting his start in the heyday of Saturday Night Live, where Farley...
- 4/12/2024
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Chris Farley — the legendary comedy actor behind Tommy Boy and countless Saturday Night Live performances — is getting the biopic treatment.
Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser will star in the project that has actor-filmmaker Josh Gad attached to direct. Saturday Night Live patriarch Lorne Michaels will produce via his Broadway video banner.
The screenplay will be written by sought after duo Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber based on the New York Times best-selling biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts by Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby.
The project, which is currently being pitched around town, has the blessing of the Farley family.
Farley rose to fame as a player on Saturday Night Live alongside castmembers Adam Sandler and David Spade, known for his energetic and physical performances. Famous for sketches that saw him play Bill Swerski’s Superfans (“da Bears!”), an overzealous motivational speaker (“living in...
Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser will star in the project that has actor-filmmaker Josh Gad attached to direct. Saturday Night Live patriarch Lorne Michaels will produce via his Broadway video banner.
The screenplay will be written by sought after duo Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber based on the New York Times best-selling biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts by Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby.
The project, which is currently being pitched around town, has the blessing of the Farley family.
Farley rose to fame as a player on Saturday Night Live alongside castmembers Adam Sandler and David Spade, known for his energetic and physical performances. Famous for sketches that saw him play Bill Swerski’s Superfans (“da Bears!”), an overzealous motivational speaker (“living in...
- 4/12/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On a recent episode of the "Fly on the Wall" podcast, comedian Chris Rock talked about watching the Safdie brothers' film "Uncut Gems" and being incredibly impressed by Adam Sandler's performance. Rock was also made incredibly melancholy, however, as he immediately began to think of the later actor/comedian Chris Farley. Rock felt that, had Farley survived, he would have eventually had the opportunity to reveal his own dramatic acting chops, something Farley was never able to display in his film career prior. Rock and Farley both began performing on "Saturday Night Live" in 1990, and they both rose to fame rapidly. Farley, however, wrestled with addiction and health problems for many years, and died of an overdose in 1997. He was 33.
Farley's death hit the world of comedy hard, and many of his friends and co-workers have come out over the years to say what a kind, shy, decent guy Farley was.
Farley's death hit the world of comedy hard, and many of his friends and co-workers have come out over the years to say what a kind, shy, decent guy Farley was.
- 3/18/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Oftentimes it wasn't what Chris Farley did that made him so funny, but rather how he did it. Such is the case for a one-off "Saturday Night Live" skit that never made it past the dress rehearsal of a 1994 episode. In the skit, "Weekend Update" correspondent Jerry Sozio offers an editorial about something that occurred "in the supermarket the other day."
The audience never finds out exactly what happened to Sozio in the supermarket because he laughs so hard about it, he just keeps repeating himself over and over, trying to get it out. If the bit feels like something Farley might have done himself, that's because it was. According to one of Farley's "SNL" co-stars, the entire bit was inspired by a classic Farley backstage gag that he'd break out all the time.
Although it never made it to air, it is not uncommon for axed sketches from the...
The audience never finds out exactly what happened to Sozio in the supermarket because he laughs so hard about it, he just keeps repeating himself over and over, trying to get it out. If the bit feels like something Farley might have done himself, that's because it was. According to one of Farley's "SNL" co-stars, the entire bit was inspired by a classic Farley backstage gag that he'd break out all the time.
Although it never made it to air, it is not uncommon for axed sketches from the...
- 1/2/2023
- by Travis Yates
- Slash Film
One of Chris Farley's best-known "Saturday Night Live" comedy sketches is "Chippendales Audition," which pits Farley against guest host Patrick Swayze in a dance-off for the ages. Farley plays "Barney" and Swayze plays "Adrian," two male striptease performers who appear before a panel of judges onstage at a Chippendales nightclub, which only has the budget for one dancer.
Farley was new to "SNL" when he appeared in "Chippendales Audition;" it was only his fourth episode, and it helped the late comedian make a name for himself early in his stint on the NBC show. However, in recent years, the famous 1990 sketch, written by Jim Downey, has come under fire for essentially fat-shaming Farley. The humor of the sketch is largely predicated on the idea that a heavyset performer like Farley would be evenly matched in a Chippendales audition against the "lean, muscular, healthy" dancer played by Swayze (who had...
Farley was new to "SNL" when he appeared in "Chippendales Audition;" it was only his fourth episode, and it helped the late comedian make a name for himself early in his stint on the NBC show. However, in recent years, the famous 1990 sketch, written by Jim Downey, has come under fire for essentially fat-shaming Farley. The humor of the sketch is largely predicated on the idea that a heavyset performer like Farley would be evenly matched in a Chippendales audition against the "lean, muscular, healthy" dancer played by Swayze (who had...
- 12/30/2022
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
Penelope Spheeris' 1996 comedy film "Black Sheep" was the second film to feature David Spade and Chris Farley playing opposite each other as a traditional comedy duo. Their first was Peter Segal's 1995 film "Tommy Boy." The two had also previously appeared in Steve Barron's alien comedy "Coneheads," although they had no scenes together. "Black Sheep" was about Mike (Farley), the slovenly brother of a gubernatorial candidate named Al (Tim Matheson) who needs to run his campaign without his clumsy sibling getting in the way. To clear his path, Al hires Steve (Spade) to take Mike out of town for a few days while the campaign finishes. Spade and Farley take to the highways. Wacky road trip shenanigans ensue.
Spade and Farley made a good pairing as their comedy styles were immensely different. Farley was a broad, physical comedian who frequently played loud, clumsy characters unaware of their awkwardness. Spade,...
Spade and Farley made a good pairing as their comedy styles were immensely different. Farley was a broad, physical comedian who frequently played loud, clumsy characters unaware of their awkwardness. Spade,...
- 11/3/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
R.J. Cutler on his Showtime documentary ‘Belushi’: ‘He was of his time and so far ahead of his time’
The world became a little less funny on March 5, 1982 when the brilliant comic actor/singer John Belushi died of a lethal injection of heroin and cocaine. He was just 33. The wild and crazy Belushi came to international fame in 1975 as one of the original seven Not Ready for Primetime Players on “Saturday Night Live” bringing to life such character as Samurai Futuba and Pete the Olympia diner counterman who only served “cheesebugga, cheesebugga.”
Movie audiences fell in love with him as the gross, insanely funny frat-house animal “Bluto” Blutarsky in 1978’s “Animal House” and as “Joliet” Jake Blues, front man for the Blues Brothers, and brother of Elwood Blues (Dan Ackroyd). And even before “SNL,” Belushi was the anchor for Chicago’s esteemed Second City improv, the irreverent “The National Lampoon Radio Hour” and Lampoon’s off-Broadway hit “Lemmings.”
He is now the subject of the documentary “Belushi,” which premieres Nov.
Movie audiences fell in love with him as the gross, insanely funny frat-house animal “Bluto” Blutarsky in 1978’s “Animal House” and as “Joliet” Jake Blues, front man for the Blues Brothers, and brother of Elwood Blues (Dan Ackroyd). And even before “SNL,” Belushi was the anchor for Chicago’s esteemed Second City improv, the irreverent “The National Lampoon Radio Hour” and Lampoon’s off-Broadway hit “Lemmings.”
He is now the subject of the documentary “Belushi,” which premieres Nov.
- 11/22/2020
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
The world got to know John Belushi’s eyebrows before we got to know the man. They projected his innermost confusion, telegraphed his thought processes, and misdirected his most sincere intentions. Showtime’s heartfelt and intimate documentary, Belushi, opens with clips from the comic icon’s screen test for Saturday Night Live. Armed with just his face, he lets those eyebrows steal the scene. They cajole, caress, and careen across the bottom of his brow, culminating in a series of aerobic stretches with a gymnast’s flair. Belushi didn’t have to crack a joke, he barely had to say a word, and yet showed a world of possibilities within a few inches of cranial space. Belushi really was a lot like his decathlon character in the Little Chocolate Donuts skit. All he needed was some sugar to keep him going. The documentary shows Belushi really was born that way,...
- 11/20/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
You’ve probably seen John Belushi’s screen test for Saturday Night Live. It’s been floating around the internet for a while, and shows up on the occasional SNL original-cast docs. Part of the four-minute clip opens R.J. Cutler’s Belushi, his portrait of the comedian premiering on Showtime (starting November 22nd). By the time he got to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the Chicago-born, Albanian-American 26-year-old had already become the Tasmanian devil of Second City’s stage shows, the standout’s of National Lampoon’s off-off-Broadway satire Lemmings and Michael O’Donoghue...
- 11/20/2020
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
R.J. Cutler’s “Belushi” charts the rise and fall of “Animal House” star John Belushi without dwelling on the particulars of his tragic death of a drug overdose at 33.
“Drugs and his overdose have become the thing that many people focus on in John’s story, but that’s not what I was interested in,” said Cutler. “I wasn’t interested in his death. I was interested in his life.”
Instead, the documentary is a celebration of Belushi’s anarchic spirit — the way he could commander an “SNL” skit with the cock of an eyebrow and send it spinning off in fresh and revolutionary directions. Chevy Chase may have been the late night show’s first breakout star, but it was Belushi who provided the sketch comedy program with its rebel yell.
Cutler relies heavily on footage of Belushi’s “SNL” tenure and work in films like “The Blues Brothers...
“Drugs and his overdose have become the thing that many people focus on in John’s story, but that’s not what I was interested in,” said Cutler. “I wasn’t interested in his death. I was interested in his life.”
Instead, the documentary is a celebration of Belushi’s anarchic spirit — the way he could commander an “SNL” skit with the cock of an eyebrow and send it spinning off in fresh and revolutionary directions. Chevy Chase may have been the late night show’s first breakout star, but it was Belushi who provided the sketch comedy program with its rebel yell.
Cutler relies heavily on footage of Belushi’s “SNL” tenure and work in films like “The Blues Brothers...
- 10/16/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
While my first day of the 56th Chicago International Film Festival brought four scripted movies, day two had a bit more variety on that front. Yes, Thursday threw two documentaries into the mix. If there’s one thing that sticks out about a virtual festival compared to a traditional one, it’s the lack of a clear schedule. Screeners reign just as much as chaos does. God knows what I’ll end up with, and I thrive on that. Well, I do if what I end up seeing is more of a smörgåsbord than a game of Russian roulette. Luckily, it was the former, and it was bizarrely consistent.
Does that mean it was all happy? Absolutely not. First for the day was R.J. Cutler’s Belushi (Grade: B-), which held its world premiere at the festival Wednesday night. For a look at the life of John Belushi, it’s a fittingly brisk one.
Does that mean it was all happy? Absolutely not. First for the day was R.J. Cutler’s Belushi (Grade: B-), which held its world premiere at the festival Wednesday night. For a look at the life of John Belushi, it’s a fittingly brisk one.
- 10/16/2020
- by Matt Cipolla
- The Film Stage
Tanner Colby’s 2012 tome “Belushi: A Biography” united dozens of voices for an exhaustive oral history of John Belushi’s life, and it might seem like the last word on the subject, but R.J. Cutler’s documentary adaptation reignites the appeal by letting you hear them. Both book and movie cover everything from the comedic legend’s goofball antics in an immigrant household to his meteoric “SNL” rise all the way through his tragic death at 33. Cutler’s condenses the material while giving it new life, building on extensive recordings from Colby’s book to resurrect Belushi’s charm alongside all the archival materials necessary to commune with his irascible spirit — and why it was destined to self-destruct.
A kind of book-on-tape with visual guides, the movie gathers a wide range of Belushi’s inner circle from virtually every stage of his life, though nobody cuts through the myth-making to...
A kind of book-on-tape with visual guides, the movie gathers a wide range of Belushi’s inner circle from virtually every stage of his life, though nobody cuts through the myth-making to...
- 10/14/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
At the beginning of the documentary “Belushi,” author Tanner Colby is heard in a telephone conversation explaining to an interview subject that he’s talking to people about John Belushi because “No one’s ever done a real biography of John as a performer … I just want to give a full portrait of him as a human being.”
Those interviews from Colby, which were used for a 2005 book about the comedian and actor, are now at the heart of R.J. Cutler’s nonfiction film “Belushi,” which premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival on Wednesday and will also play at the AFI Fest before heading to Showtime on Nov. 22. And while you could say that the movie gets in the neighborhood of being a full portrait of the human being, it would be a stretch to call it a biography of John Belushi the performer – because at a certain point,...
Those interviews from Colby, which were used for a 2005 book about the comedian and actor, are now at the heart of R.J. Cutler’s nonfiction film “Belushi,” which premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival on Wednesday and will also play at the AFI Fest before heading to Showtime on Nov. 22. And while you could say that the movie gets in the neighborhood of being a full portrait of the human being, it would be a stretch to call it a biography of John Belushi the performer – because at a certain point,...
- 10/14/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
A wickedly industrious joke-machine intellect attached
to a pneumatic pair of eyebrows, John Belushi was the king of American
comedy in the mid-to-late 1970s. At the peak of his career, he could boast a
sinecure at “Saturday Night Live,” blockbuster movies, a hit band, and the
best Toshiro Mifune imitation ever to hit American TV. Nevertheless, as
related in R.J. Cutler’s tragic documentary “Belushi,” he
destroyed everything he had with the same abandon that John Landis wrecked
police cruisers in their movie “The Blues Brothers.”
Using heretofore-unheard interviews from an oral history project by Tanner Colby, “Belushi” can be seen as something of a riposte to Bob Woodward’s 1984 biography “Wired.” The book is seen by people in Belushi’s circle as a cold, scathing, and exploitative take on their friend’s drug-related death in 1982 that ignores his talent and warmth.
Continue reading ‘Belushi’: A Loving Look At...
to a pneumatic pair of eyebrows, John Belushi was the king of American
comedy in the mid-to-late 1970s. At the peak of his career, he could boast a
sinecure at “Saturday Night Live,” blockbuster movies, a hit band, and the
best Toshiro Mifune imitation ever to hit American TV. Nevertheless, as
related in R.J. Cutler’s tragic documentary “Belushi,” he
destroyed everything he had with the same abandon that John Landis wrecked
police cruisers in their movie “The Blues Brothers.”
Using heretofore-unheard interviews from an oral history project by Tanner Colby, “Belushi” can be seen as something of a riposte to Bob Woodward’s 1984 biography “Wired.” The book is seen by people in Belushi’s circle as a cold, scathing, and exploitative take on their friend’s drug-related death in 1982 that ignores his talent and warmth.
Continue reading ‘Belushi’: A Loving Look At...
- 10/13/2020
- by Chris Barsanti
- The Playlist
The Hollywood Reporter says that Steven Conrad ( The Pursuit of Happyness ) will write and Todd Phillips ( The Hangover , upcoming Due Date ) will produce a biopic about comedian John Belushi, who died of a drug overdose in 1982 at age 33. Alexandra Milchan and Bonnie Timmerman are also producing. Warner Bros. recently acquired the rights from Belushi's estate. Belushi's widow, Judith, who published "Belushi" in 2005 with Tanner Colby, will be an executive producer on the project, as Judith Belushi Pisano (she's since remarried). "Belushi" is described as follows: On the day he turned thirty, John starred in America's number-one movie (Animal House), starred in the number-one late-night show (Saturday Night Live) and had recorded the number-one album...
- 8/11/2010
- Comingsoon.net
Chris Farley's celebrity friends Chevy Chase and David Spade tried desperately to save the actor from his drug addiction before he died of an overdose, a new book reveals.
Actor pals Chase and Spade reveal the tactics they used to shock Farley into kicking his out-of-control habit in The Last Days of Chris Farley - written by the tragic star's brother Tom Farley and Tanner Colby.
Chase says, "(I told him) look, you're not John Belushi. And when you overdose or kill yourself, you will not have the same acclaim that John did. You'll be a blip in the New York Times obituary page, and that'll be it. Is that what you want?"
And Spade claims he was blamed for his Tommy Boy co-star's death: "I got a lot of s**t at the end about, 'Why weren't you there for him?' But being that close, I dealt with it all the time. And in that situation, before the guy's dead, he's just kind of an asshole. Truth is, you get a junkie who's wasted all the time and moody and angry and trying to knock you around, you say, 'Ok, you go do that and I'll be over here.'"
Farley died from an overdose in 1997 at the age of 33.
Actor pals Chase and Spade reveal the tactics they used to shock Farley into kicking his out-of-control habit in The Last Days of Chris Farley - written by the tragic star's brother Tom Farley and Tanner Colby.
Chase says, "(I told him) look, you're not John Belushi. And when you overdose or kill yourself, you will not have the same acclaim that John did. You'll be a blip in the New York Times obituary page, and that'll be it. Is that what you want?"
And Spade claims he was blamed for his Tommy Boy co-star's death: "I got a lot of s**t at the end about, 'Why weren't you there for him?' But being that close, I dealt with it all the time. And in that situation, before the guy's dead, he's just kind of an asshole. Truth is, you get a junkie who's wasted all the time and moody and angry and trying to knock you around, you say, 'Ok, you go do that and I'll be over here.'"
Farley died from an overdose in 1997 at the age of 33.
- 4/2/2008
- WENN
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