Two successful female writers will take on new roles as they collaborate on an indie romantic comedy. The film is called Austenland and it’ll be directed by Jerusha Hess, who co-wrote Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre and Gentlemen Broncos with her husband Jared Hess, and produced by Stephenie Meyer, writer of the Twilight novels. Though Meyer is credited as a producer on those ultra-successful movies, this will be her first producing gig on something she didn’t conceive.
Austenland focuses on a young woman obsessed with Colin Firth’s character, Mr. Darcy, in the BBC production of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Starring Keri Russell, JJ Field, Bret McKenzie, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Seymour, Rupert Vansittart and James Callis, it humorously explores how that idealism completely ruins her love life. Shooting begins this week. Read more after the jump. Read More »
Gosh! Now it’ll be super easy for Napoleon Dynamite to get extra chap stick, tame a wild stallion or go off some sweet jumps because it’ll be drawn for him. Fox has picked up a six-episode animated TV version of the 2004 cult film which launched the careers of director Jared Hess and star Jon Heder. All the original cast members will be providing voices for the show which will be produced and written by Hess, his wife Jerusha Hess and Simpsons alum Mike Scully. Simultaneously, Fox also green lit another animated show called Allen Gregory which is created by Jonah Hill and Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul, who wrote Yes Man. Hit the jump for more info on both shows and the uncropped hight res version of the Dynamite art. Read More »
The actor with the best perma-squint in showbiz, Choke‘s Sam Rockwell, has just signed on, alongside Flight of the Conchords Jemaine Clement and youngster Michael Angarano, to star in director Jared Hess‘s comedy Gentlemen Broncos. Angarano will play a teen attending a writer’s convention (what fun those are) where he discovers that his idea has been stolen by a “legendary fantasy novelist” played by Clement. Rockwell should have a field day as he plays the title character (what an odd name) in both the kid’s and novelist’s stories.
Hess, who previously directed Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, wrote the script with his wife, Jerusha Hess, and I like the log line, sounds write up his alley. Oh yeah, to the guy who bemoans when I don’t mention this, that would make Hess, ahem, a writer-director. The film is set for release in 2009.
Not sure why, but I’m in the mood to see a comedy about a fantasy novelist, and Clement, whose face is quite devilish and elastic, is a bit of inspired casting. Movies that literally play with literary structure are always interesting, whether it’s terrible (The Number 23) or mildly amusing (John Candy’s Delirious). Anyone got another flick that fits this category? Discuss below.
Source Link: THR
