Caffeinated Clint
Earlier today Deadline reported that “Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig is considering retaining the services of two of that film’s stars Melissa McCarthy and Jon Hamm for a new untitled comedy he’s engineering with frequent collaborator Judd Apatow.
About half-an-hour after the story hit, I had the chance to sit down with Feig – here in Melbourne to promote the fabulous comedy, starring the absolutely adorable Kristen Wiig and Rose Byrne (also here stumping the hit film) – and quiz him on the Hamm/McCarthy movie rumour.
“It was one of those things where I was like ‘Oh, that wasn’t supposed to come out’ but I’m kinda glad it did; I’ve been secretive about it the past few months but I guess I’ve dropped enough hints too. It’s a real passion project; again, I just want to tell stories that don’t normally get told and this is another of those.”
“They’re the inspiration for it”, Feig says of Hamm and McCarthy, adding that the film would be a “very unconventional love story, in the vein of [Bridesmaids]. Judd and I have a very specific storytelling style – it’s very real and out of the reality we’ll try to make it as funny as possible. I’m excited about that.”
Feig says he’s a huge fan of both actors, describing Jon Hamm as “the new Cary Grant, because he’s so funny but so effortless” and McCarthy as “just a force of nature”.
How long away is this prospective Hamm/McCarthy movie? “I’m just writing it at the moment”, the filmmaker says, “There’s actually something in the Fall that…is a sequel to a movie that people know but I can’t really talk about it yet; we’re still trying to finalize it. That would be fun. It’s something I’ve wanted to with some actors I’ve wanted to work with.”
Feig says it isn’t a sequel to “Bridesmaids” (though he admits there is talk of one of those too) and in fact he’d go as far as to say it’s not so much a sequel as a reboot of a popular franchise. “This would be a reboot of a franchise. I want to talk about it but it might not happen because of actors deals and so on so I better remain mysterious.”
Hmmm, what could it be folks?
Meantime, excited for a Jon Hamm/Melissa McCarthy comedy?
