If you haven't had the chance to check out last year's amazing documentary Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon, it's an insightful and very funny look at the minds behind the (in)famous comedy magazine. And a big part of their creation and influence on the realm of comedy and movies was Doug Kenney, whose story will now be told in a biopic with Will Forte and Wet Hot American Summer's David Wain.
Netflix is set to acquire A Futile and Stupid Gesture, which Wain would direct and Forte would star in as Kenney. The film is based on the 2006 book by Josh Karp and is written by Michael Colton and John Aboud. Kenney was one of the original founders of the Harvard Lampoon, which transformed into the comedy giant National Lampoon after he graduated from college. Kenney was a comedic genius who wrote most of the magazine's edgiest material, but he was also severely depressed, aggravated by heavy drug and alcohol use. He co-wrote the cult favorite golf comedy Caddyshack, but when the film received bad reviews it sent him into a deeper tailspin. He was found dead in 1980 at the age of 33 at the bottom of a cliff, with nobody really sure if it was an accident.
The lives of comedians are often tinged with tragedy, and Kenney's is no different. So this could be a really meaty role for Forte, who is currently finding success on Fox's The Last Man on Earth. This could be his most substantial film role since Alexander Payne's Nebraska. As for Wain, this gives him a chance to reteam with Netflix, who produced his sequel series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. Shooting on the film is to begin next month. [THR]
