I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry Movie Poster
Universal has released the first one-sheet for the Dennis Dugan directed comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. The movie stars Adam Sandler and Kevin James as two straight firefighters who pose as a gay married couple in order to qualify for their department’s domestic partner benefits. “They’re as straight as can be, but don’t tell anyone.” Jessica Biel, Steve Buscemi, Dan Aykroyd, and Ving Rhames co-star.
Click the poster for a better view. Poster photo courtesy of LatinoReview (we did a lot of touch up work to remove the unwanted glare)
Dugan was once a great comedy director, having directed some of Sandler’s better films (Big Daddy, Happy Gilmore). Recently however, Dugan has turned out more than a couple bombs: The Benchwarmers, National Security, Saving Silverman, Beverly Hills Ninja, Brain Donors and Problem Child.
The screenplay has had more hands on it than Lindsay Lohan’s breasts: Academy Award winner Alexander Payne (Sideways), Robert Smigel (Triumph the Insult Comic Dog), Barry Fanaro (Kingpin), Lew Gallo (Ocean’s Eleven) and Jim Taylor (Election). I usually say that too many cooks spoil the soup, but what if there are more than a few talented cooks?
The movie hits theaters on July 20th 2007, head-to-head with Hairspray, a week after Harry Potter, and two weeks following Transformers (ie expect this film to probably get lost in the Summer shuffle).
Ghostbusters 3 Confirmed
It looks like a third Ghostbusters film might actually happen after-all. The catch is, it will be completely computer animationed.
Dan Aykroyd confirmed that an animated Ghostbusters 3 is in development while doing an interview for CISN fm.
“Ghostbusters 3 lives today. A year ago it didn’t.”
“I wrote a script called Hell Bent, Ghostbusters go to hell basically. The premise is that it’s Manhellton. There’s Manhattan and ManHELLton. And if you can build an inter-dimensional phase system so that you can go from one dimension to another. We’ve succeeded doing that and we go to the hell side.
Downtown, Folley Square - where the cops are, they’re all blue minotaurs. Central Park is this huge deep mine, green demons there, surrounded by black onyx thousand foot high apartment buildings with classic red devils. Very wealthy. And we go visit a Donald Trump like character - Mr. Siffler. Lou Siffler, Lucifer. So I will say we meet the devil in it.
It won’t happen as a live action because Billy [Murray] won’t come on to the live action but he will voice his part, as a CGI animated project.
With CGI, and animation, the way these cartoons are done, we can do everything I wrote in that script for a lot less money.”
So there you have it. I’ve never liked the Ghostbusters in Hell concept that much, and Aykroyd’s detailed explaination doesn’t make it sound any more appealing.
Harold Ramis, who co-wrote both films and played Dr. Egon Spengler has been trying to get the project off the ground for a couple years now. Ramis’ plan included the casting of a new Ghostbuster played by Ben Stiller, and the return of Dan Aykroyd and Rick Moranis.
You can read our indepth report from last year about the progress of getting Ghostbusters 3 off the ground here.
Bonnie Hunt Biography
Described by Entertainment Weekly as “the hands-down best (talk show) guest in America,” Chicago-born Bonnie Hunt began pursuing her acting career while working as a nurse at that city’s Northwestern University Hospital. (Reportedly as late as the early 1990s, she returned to that profession for a month or so each year.) The smart, pixie-like writer-performer co-founded the Chicago improvisational troupe An Impulsive Thing before joining the famed Second City improv group, appearing in their productions “Bright Lights, Night Baseball,” “Jean Paul Sartre and Ringo” and “How Green Were My Values.†After making her feature debut as the waitress who spills toothpicks before a calculating Dustin Hoffman in Barry Levinson’s Oscar-winning Best Picture “Rain Man” (1988), she moved to Los Angeles with a short-lived West Coast offshoot of Second City and turned down three offers from “Saturday Night Live” while working to get her own show on the air.
Hunt’s first leading role cast her as second fiddle to both Charles Grodin and the galumphing Saint Bernard “Beethoven” (1992), with whom she reunited for “Beethoven’s 2nd” (1993). She also had a memorable 30-second cameo as a fanatical tour guide in “Dave” (also 1993) but had less luck as Marisa Tomei’s best pal in the uneven “Only You” (1994), despite savoring the three-month shoot in Italy. Though critics were indifferent to her portrayal of Robin Williams’ love interest in “Jumanji” (1995), her years at Second City had prepared her well for the Williams whirlwind, and the film earned over $100 million at the box office. No such fate awaited the reception of “Getting Away With Murder” (1996), an embarrassment for Jack Lemmon, Lily Tomlin and Dan Aykroyd, from which Hunt emerged relatively unscathed as Aykroyd’s cast off girlfriend. After a small role in the coming-of-age drama “Now and Then” (1995), she impressed reviewers as the bitter older sister of Renee Zellweger in Cameron Crowe’s romantic/sports comedy “Jerry Maguire” (1996).
As for TV, she made her debut as a regular on the short-lived, soap-like sitcom “Grand” (CBS, 1990), followed by a stint on the elementary school sitcom “Davis Rules” (ABC, 1991; CBS, 1992), co-starring with Randy Quaid and Jonathan Winters and displaying her considerable comic talents, which included holding her own opposite the exuberant Winters. Her friendship with talk show host David Letterman led to her becoming the first woman to create, write, co-executive produce (with Letterman) and star in her own short-lived series, “The Building” (CBS, 1993). The ensemble comedy featuring Hunt’s Second City colleagues attempted to recreate the feel of an improvisational troupe with its rich characterizations and overlapping dialogue. Again with Letterman’s backing, she created and produced the “The Bonnie Hunt Show/Bonnie” (CBS, 1995-1996), on which she played a Chicago TV station reporter. Taped in real time without retakes, each episode combined scripted and improvisational material, including a “man-in-the-street” report by Hunt, but in spite of sterling reviews and a small but loyal following, the show died after one season.
Though there were no more stabs at series TV, Hunt remained busy with a starring turn as a woman trapped overnight in a locked subway exit in the “Fern’s Heart of Darkness” segment of HBO’s “Subway Stories: Tales From the Underground” (1997) and small roles in “Kissing a Fool” (1998) and Sydney Pollack’s anachronistic “Random Hearts” (1999), in which she played an old friend of Kristin Scott Thomas. She also voiced the character of Rosie the black widow spider in the delightful, animated adventure comedy “A Bug’s Life” (also 1998) and played Tom Hanks’ plain-speaking, ever-warm wife in “The Green Mile” (also 1999). Hunt signed to direct her first feature, “Convenience”, in 1997, but with it on hold, she made her directorial debut at the helm of “Return to Me” (2000), co-scripted by longtime collaborator Don Lake, a regular on both her TV series. Shot almost entirely in her hometown of Chicago, the romance starred David Duchovny as a man who falls in love with Minnie Driver, the recipient of his deceased wife’s transplanted heart.
In 2002, Hunt got the chance to become the hands-down best TV talk show host—fictionally, anyway—playing local Chicago morning show personality Bonnie Molloy, who finds it hard to separate her professional and personal lives in the ABC television sit-com “Life With Bonnie” (2002-2004). The show—with scripts that were largely improvised and benefited from guest spots by many of Hunt’s showbiz colleagues such as Duchovny—was not on the air long before Hunt took near-total control, removing many of the writers and handling many of the production details herself. With Hunt at the helm, the show was renewed for an even more successful second season as part of ABC’s “TGiF” lineup, and the actress received Golden Globe nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy in both 2003 and 2004. She also continued her successful career in film, teaming with Steve Martin as the parents of a dozen demanding kids in the mild but commercially successful remake of “Cheaper by the Dozen” (2003).
She next starred in a little known indie feature, “Loggerheads†(2005), a family drama about a mother (Hunt) who makes a last ditch effort to find the son (Kip Pardue) she was forced to give up for adoption as a teenager. Hunt then reprised her role as the overburdened mother in “Cheaper By the Dozen 2†(2005), costarring Steven Martin as the patriarch of a family of twelve. Meanwhile, she crossed over to animation, providing the voice of Sally in “Cars†(2006), the latest soon-to-be animated classic from Pixar Studios about a hotshot race car (Owen Wilson) stuck in a sleepy Route 66 town populated by an eccentric array of characters who help steer him right.
- Born:
on 09/22/1964 in Chicago, Illinois - Job Titles:
Actor, Producer, Screenwriter, Director, Nurse
Family
- Brother: Keving Hunt. older
- Brother: Patrick Hunt. older
- Brother: Tom Hunt. older; played small roles in “Bonnie” and “The Building”
- Father: Bob Hunt. died while Bonnie was in nursing school
- Mother: Alice Hunt. provided a voiceover as Mom for CBS sitcom “Bonnie” (1995)
- Sister: Carol Hunt. older; played small roles in “Bonnie”
- Sister: Kathy Hunt. older
- Sister: Mary Hunt. younger
Significant Others
- Husband: John Murphy. married in 1988
Education
- Second City, Chicago, Illinois
Milestones
- 1982 Worked as an oncology and emergency room nurse at Northwestern University Hospital (dates approximate)
- 1984 Co-founded Chicago improvisational group, An Impulsive Thing, centered at Bob’s Bar across from Wrigley Field (date approximate)
- 1986 Joined Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe
- 1988 Feature acting debut, “Rain Man”; first onscreen collaboration with Tom Cruise; still working as a nurse, she took three days off to film her cameo
- 1989 Helped form the L.A. offshoot of Second City
- 1990 TV series debut, co-starring in the NBC sitcom “Grand”
- 1992 First feature in a lead role as Charles Grodin’s beleaguered wife in “Beethoven”
- 1993 Created, wrote and co-executive produced (with David Letterman) the TV sitcom “The Building”; despite great critical response, ratings were not stellar; CBS ofered to renew the series if Hunt replaced all of her co-stars (Chicago friends) with more well-known actors; when she refused, the axe fell
- 1993 Enjoyed hilariously memorable cameo as White House tour guide in “Dave”
- 1994 Portrayed Marisa Tomei’s best friend in Norman Jewison’s “Only You”
- 1995 Was Robin Williams’ love interest in “Jumanji”
- 1995 Wrote, created and co-executive produced (again with Letterman) the TV sitcom “The Bonnie Hunt Show/Bonnie” (CBS)
- 1996 Reteamed onscreen with Tom Cruise in “Jerry Maguire”
- 1997 Signed to direct first feature, “Convenience”; project eventually put on hold
- 1997 Starred as Fern McDermott, a woman who becomes trapped in a subway exit overnight, in “Fern’s Heart of Darkness”, a segment of HBO’s “Subway Stories: Tales From the Underground”
- 1998 Contributed voice of Rosie (the black widow spider) to animated “A Bug’s Life”
- 1999 Cast as Kristen Scott Thomas’ old friend in Sydney Pollack’s “Random Hearts”
- 1999 Played Tom Hanks’ plain-speaking wife in “The Green Mile”
- 2000 Feature directing and co-screenwriting (with longtime collaborator Don Lake) debut with “Return to Me”
- 2002 Starred in the comedy series “Life With Bonnie”; received Golden Globe (2002, 2003) and Emmy (2004) nominations for Best Actress
- 2002 Acted in the “Project Greenlight” winning feature “Stolen Summer”; screened at Sundance
- 2003 Co-starred with Steve Martin in the comedy “Cheaper by the Dozen”
- 2005 Reprised role as the matriarch of 12 kids in “Cheaper By the Dozen 2″
- 2006 Voiced Sally in the Pixar animated feature “Cars”
- Co-starred in the sitcom “Davis Rules” (ABC then CBS), portraying Jonathan Winters’ daughter
- Had a part-time job as nurse’s aide during high school
Alyson Hannigan Biography
Known for bringing a quirky and vibrant personality to many of her characters, Alyson Lee Hannigan first garnered attention for portraying wallflower Willow Rosenberg on the popular WB series, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.†A former child actor/model, this natural redhead one-upped her TV fame after being cast in the late 1990s teen romp, “American Pie†(1999) as the nice-but-naughty band geek, Michelle.
Born March 24, 1974 in Washington D.C. to Albert Hannigan and Emilie Posner, Hannigan grew up in Atlanta, GA with her real estate agent mother after her parents’ divorced in 1972. The camera loved this auburn-coifed actress from an early age. At only three months old, she was featured in an instructional film, “Active Parenting” (1974). Hannigan began to model as a child, posing for nearly a hundred print advertisements before making the transition into commercial acting. At the age of four, Hannigan landed her first commercial, promoting Duncan Hines cookie mix. She was later featured in a number of national TV commercials, including campaigns for McDonald’s and Oreo cookies. Growing up in Atlanta, Hannigan attended the Northside School of the Performing Arts. With her burgeoning success in commercial acting, the eleven-year-old Hannigan and her mother relocated to Los Angeles so that she could pursue her career more seriously.
Hannigan’s first breakthrough role came in 1988 when she was cast as Dan Aykroyd’s suspicious daughter in the misbegotten comedy, “My Stepmother Is an Alien.” Next, Hannigan landed a regular role on the ABC sitcom, “Free Spirit” (1989-90). She went on to land a number of other small television roles while still in school, including spots on “Roseanne†(ABC, 1988-1997), “The Torkelsons†(NBC, 1991-93), “Touched by an Angel†(CBS, 1994-2003) and “Picket Fences†(CBS, 1992-96). After graduating high school at North Hollywood High in 1992, Hannigan took some time off to attend college at California State University, where she majored in psychology.
Returning to work in 1997, Hannigan landed her biggest break yet – she was cast as Willow Rosenberg, Buffy’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) quirky best friend on the cult Joss Whedon TV series, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer†(WB, 1997-2001; UPN, 2001-03).
With her newfound recognition, Hannigan started landing roles in a number of films geared towards a teenage audience, including “Dead Man on Campus” (1998), in “Boys and Girls” (2000), her biggest film to date – the unexpected teen sex comedy hit, “American Pie†(1999). Playing off her natural geekiness, Hannigan portrayed the sweetly perverted flute-playing band geek Michelle Flaherty opposite Jason Biggs. Hannigan uttered the film franchise’s most infamous line: “One time, at band camp…†culminating in a hilariously x-rated explanation of what really did happen at band camp with that flute. The actress reprised her “Pie†role in the sequels “American Pie 2″ (2001) and later, more prominently in the disappointing “American Wedding” (2003).
Crossing over to the “Buffy†spin-off, “Angel†(WB, 1999-2004), Hannigan reprised her role as Willow Rosenberg, appearing on the series in a number of episodes. In 2004, Hannigan made her stage debut opposite Luke Perry, starring in a stage adaptation of “When Harry Met Sally†at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London’s West End. Returning to series television in 2005, Hannigan guest-starred on “Veronica Mars†(UPN, 2004- ) and landed a regular spot on the CBS sitcom hit “How I Met Your Mother†(2005- ) portraying kindergarten teacher Lily Aldrin. With such a workload, Hannigan found time to return to the big screen in the 2006 send-up of cheesy romantic chick flicks, “Date Movie,” a modest hit.
- Born:
on 03/24/1974 in Washington, DC - Job Titles:
Actor, Model
Family
- Father: Albert Hannigan. divorced from Hannigan’s mother c. 1975
- Mother: Emilie Posner. divorced from Hannigan’s father c. 1975
Significant Others
- Companion: Alex Denisof. born c. 1966; also appeared on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”; dating from early 2000; engaged as of December 2002
- Companion: Ginger Fish. drummer with Marilyn Manson; ended relationship c. late 1999
Milestones
- 1974 As a baby, featured in the industrial film “Active Parenting”
- 1978 Landed first commercial for Duncan Hines cookie mix at age four (date approximate)
- 1985 Moved with mother to L.A.
- 1985 While visiting father in Santa Barbara, California, auditioned for agents
- 1988 Feature acting debut in “My Stepmother Is an Alien”
- 1989 TV series debut as regular in the ABC sitcom “Free Spirit”
- 1991 Had featured role as the teenaged sister of one of the young women who were “Switched at Birth” (NBC)
- 1993 Appeared in two episodes of the short-lived ABC sitcom “Almost Home”
- 1997 Played regular role of Willow Rosenberg in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (The WB; 1997-2001; UPN, 2001-2003)
- 1998 Co-starred in the film “Dead Man on Campus”
- 1999 Had featured role in the teen sex comedy “American Pie”
- 2001 Reprised role in the sequel “American Pie 2″
- 2003 Married Jason Bigg’s character in the summer comedy sequel “American Wedding”
- 2004 Appeared with Luke Perry in the London stage version of ”When Harry Met Sally”
- 2005 Cast as Lily on the CBS comedy “How I Met Your Mother”
- 2006 Starred in “Date Movie,” the comedy spoof of romantic movies, co-directed and co-wrote by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer
- Born in Washington, DC
- Moved to Atlanta, Georgia with mother after parents’ divorce
- Worked as a child model; featured in over 30 commercials and more than 100 print advertisements