Ben Stiller is Lining Up His 'Tropic Thunder' Directorial Follow-Up
Looks like these will become a little less funny for the funny man
Ben Stiller scored big with last year's comedy Tropic Thunder, but it appears his next two directorial outings will be a little more on the serious side as Variety reports on what films may find Stiller at the helm.
Today's news is primarily centered on Help Me Spread Goodness, which Stiller is set to direct for Participant Media. The film is described as a drama with comedic overtones which centers on a Chicago banker who gets swindled in a Nigerian Internet scam. The film was written by Mark Friedman who penned the 2006 Iraq War feature Home of the Brave. Michael Fleming reports that while the film is meant to be entertaining, it sheds light on current issues in Nigeria and other African countries.
Also on Stiller's plate is The Trial of the Chicago 7, which was originally expected to be directed by Steven Spielberg, but when Spielberg dropped off Stiller was the next to sign up. The film follows anti-Vietnam War activists arrested at the 1968 Democratic Convention. Aaron Sorkin ("The West Wing" and Charlie Wilson's War) penned the script and it is up-in-the-air as to whether Chicago 7 or Goodness will be his next feature as he is also set to star in Little Fockers, the third film in the Focker franchise, for director Paul Weitz.
Stiller will next be seen in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, which hits theaters this month on May 22.
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Lame!! He needs to move on George Saunders' CivilWarLand in Bad Decline. Such a funny short story. If he had put this into production a couple years back, Ben would have been the first to get on the modern theme park-related film genre (i.e. Adventureland). And it would have been infinitely funnier.
I think the Trial of the Chicago 7 sounds like a very interesting movie!
GOD DAMMIT! Why are they letting this moderately funny douchebag ruin the Chicago 8 film? I've been waiting for that for a long fucking time, and they've got fucking Mr. Night at the Museum directing it. God damn Hollywood swine.
hell yeah meet the little fockers should be great. I loved the first two films
Wasn't Paul Greengrass next in line after Spielberg for Chicago 7? Seems like his sensibilities would have been a little more appropriate considering the subject matter than Stiller's. Nothing he's done so far leads me to believe he's capable of pulling this film off (didn't hate Reality Bites, however; everything else has been wretched). Here's hoping he refrains from acting in the film, though I have a horrible feeling he'll end up playing Abbie Hoffman. Sigh.