Upcoming Paul Rudd Projects To Keep On Your Radar
(Welcome to On Your Radar, a series where we take a look at what's next for the biggest actors and filmmakers, and why you should be excited ... or not.)
Ageless wonder Paul Rudd has been working steadily in Hollywood for thirty years, and he's showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, in addition to his ongoing work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Rudd has joined a second major blockbuster franchise. Here's a quick breakdown of the different projects he has in the works right now.
The Shrink Next Door
Rudd will soon return to television to co-star in "The Shrink Next Door," a true story explored in a popular podcast. The drama series follows the relationship between a smooth-talking psychiatrist (Rudd) and his longtime patient (Will Ferrell), and showcases how the psychiatrist slowly begins to encroach on his patient's life and manipulate and exploit him in a myriad number of ways. This is one of the rare times Rudd will be playing against type and taking on a villainous role – or at least that of a complicated antagonist. "The Shrink Next Door" will premiere on AppleTV+ on November 12, 2021.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Rudd headlines the next "Ghostbusters" film, which looks like a nostalgia play in the vein of "Stranger Things" and picks up decades after the events of the original two movies. He plays the humorously named Mr. Grooberson, a teacher in a small midwestern town where supernatural events begin to take place. The film had a well-received early screening at CinemaCon, where director Jason Reitman referred to it as "the biggest easter egg hunt of all time" – which, depending on your personality, either sounds like a promise or a threat. "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" is currently slated to hit theaters on November 19, 2021.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
And of course, as the MCU rolls ever onward, Rudd will be back to reprise his role of Scott Lang in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," which is currently filming under the direction of Peyton Reed. Details about this third Ant-Man movie are still relatively slim, but we know it will feature Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, who is being set up as the next big villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That marks a big change for the "Ant-Man" movies, which have typically been smaller scale, lighter, comedic affairs compared to some of the more bombastic and action-centric entries for characters like Captain America or Iron Man. Pitting the heroes played by Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Michael Peña against the equivalent of the new Thanos should prove to be the characters' biggest test yet.