Even before The Office aired its final episode, John Krasinski was looking to establish himself as a filmmaker. With Matt Damon he co-wrote and starred in the heartland drama, Promised Land, and in 2009 he made his directorial debut with the Sundance hit Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. And now he's lined up his follow-up effort in The Hollars, and an impressive cast has already come aboard to join him.
Anna Kendrick, Richard Jenkins, and Margo Martindale will star alongside Krasinski in the film, which he will direct, produce, and take the lead role in. Penned by James C. Strouse and described as Garden State meets Steel Magnolias, the story follows "John Hollar, an aspiring NYC artist who takes his girlfriend (Kendrick) back to his Middle America hometown on the eve of his mother’s (Martindale) brain surgery. There he’s forced to navigate the crazy life he left behind as his dysfunctional family, high school pals, his father (Jenkins), and his over-eager ex flood back into his life ahead of the operation."
Great cast and familiar territory for Krasinski as he heads back to "flyover country". Let's just hope he can do something new with what sounds like well-worn material. [Deadline]
