9/11/2011

Sure Shots: Jay Baruchel; Party Down; Thomas Haden Church

 
* Jay Baruchel is no longer that skinny, scene stealing funny guy in other people's comedy flicks. His starring turn in She's Out of My League helped catapult that film into a surprise hit, and while Baruchel has continued to pop up seemingly at random(How to Train Your Dragon, Good Neighbors), he's been making a steady move into writing as well. He co-starred in and co-wrote Goon, the hockey comedy starring Seann William Scott and Liev Schreiber. And now he'll turn his talents towards baseball, co-writing an adaptation of Baseballissimo with scripting partner Jesse Chabot. Based on Dave Bedini's popular non-fiction book, the film will follow the Canadian author's family trip to Nettuno, the baseball capital of Italy. [Variety]

* I'll believe it when I see it. Fans of Party Down(like me) who have been missing the show(like me) and hoping that the movie the cast keeps hinting will actually happen can smile a bit wider. Adam Scott, while talking to ThePlaylist about his upcoming film Friends With Kids, told them that it may be shot as soon as next summer as long as schedules can be worked out. He puts the chances of it happening at 90%. I still find it hard to believe that anyone would greenlight a movie for a cancelled show that drew a 0.0 for it's series finale, but whatever, it's Party Down! I'm excited.

* I love Thomas Haden Church, but it's always felt like his career should've been....more, coming out of his Oscar nomination in 2004 for Sideways. He's a welcome presence in any film, though, and anything he's in needs to be paid attention to. Even a lousy sounding horror film whose claim to fame is that it falls under the production banner belonging to Slash from Guns 'n Roses. Seriously.  Slasher Films first shot out of the gate is Nothing To Fear, a horror film about a broken family trying to put their lives back together again, only to see their efforts derailed by an "unbalanced man of the cloth". Church will play the priest, with no other talent lined up at this stage. Anthony Leonardi will direct, based on a script by Jonathan W. C. Mills. Church will be seen next in Cameron Crowe's We Bought A Zoo.  [Deadline]