Planet Fun News 05.01.08: T.E.

Posted by Matt Richissin on 05.01.2008

Hilary Duff might need to change her area code, Two Simpsons guys sign on for the creator of Arrested Development's New Show, Will Ferrell in Land of the Lost, Dwight Shrute in a feature role, Jason Bateman in Mike Judge's new movie, Jonah HIll to be in Transformers, an old take on the new Dark Knight Trailer and I have a cocktail with John Laroquette.... That last part MIGHT be a lie.. But you'll have to read to find out

Sorry, Laroquette Fans..... Let's kick it to the news

THE STORY: NEW 90210 PRODUCERS TARGET POP "STAR"

Straight off of signing the fine wine that I know as Aunt Becky, it appears that the people behind the new Beverly Hills, 90210 have targeted their star; pop "star" and FHM #8 Sexiest Female (really?) Hilary Duff. We'll send it to the people at Variety to explain:

CBS Par Network TV and the CW have sent Duff the pilot script for "90210" with an eye on having her play the lead female role on the potential series, a person close to the production confirmed. News of the offer surfaced last week on various websites, including E! Online.

Duff hasn't yet accepted the offer, however. If she does, she'd play Annie Mills, the spiritual descendant of the character played by Shannen Doherty.

Duff, seen below looking like she's pissed at her best friend for throwing her in the pool, has not signed on yet nor returned my MySpace messages.

THE THOUGHT PROCESS

My prediction: If Duff signs on to do 90210 the show is going to be an absolute monster. I think with the success of The Hills and general intrigue off of the brand recognition that 90210 brings this could be the show that puts the CW Network on the map (that's to say, if Girlfriends hasn't already sucked you right in). I bet that Duff will sign on to do it as well, mostly because I don't know how she can stay in the lime light that much longer without actually doing something (it's really a marvel that she's lasted this long isn't it? I can't really recall her having any mega hits, and I personally don't think she's all that attractive. Please spare me the "You'd Do Her" comments too... I've given an honest look at a girl wearing an Andy Moog jersey)

FUN FACTOR: 3.25

I can say in all honesty that there's very little that intrigues me about a new version of 90210, though I must admit I never really watched the original either. I've been sucked into Laguna Beach and The Hills before, but I just don't see anything the least bit interesting about the prospective of a new 90210. It just seems to bland, and will certainly have the disadvantage of not replaying their shows 15,000 times a week like MTV does. Also, there's something about the CW that just turns me right off; I've always meant to watch One Tree Hill which features an unrivaled cast of F- celebrities (headlined by arguably my least favorite character of all time; Mincus of Boy Meets World and Ste-Phen of Laguna Beach)

And to be FULLY honest, the real reasons I ran this story was a. the gratuitous Hilary Duff photos and b. this half awesome, half creepy video:

UPDATE: There have been conflicting reports of whether Hilary Duff has or has not already turned down the role. Variety reported that she had, but E! News Daily had an interview with her where she had not read the script.

THE STORY: SIMPSONS TANDEM SIGNS ON TO HORWITZ COMEDY

Straight on the tails of announcing that many Arrested Development alumni will be lending their voices to AD creator Mitch Horwitz's new animated series; Stand Up, Sit Down it appears that the show has found its showrunners; Simpsons vets Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. Tt appears that Horwitz will become more of a supervisor for the show after the first episode (which he wrote). Here's an excerpt from the Variety story

Addition of Oakley and Weinstein to the toon's team is a good sign that a series order is in the offing; Fox had planned to decide on the show's fate after a table read, which took place earlier this month. Net, however, hasn't confirmed a pickup.

Oakley and Weinstein will add plenty of animated comedy experience to "Sit Down, Shut Up," which was initially set up by "Arrested Development" creator Mitch Hurwitz (who also wrote the first script) and his producing partners, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum.

"To run Mitch's show, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Oakley said. "It all worked out -- Mitch wants to be in more of a supervisory role, like Ron Howard on 'Arrested.' "

THE THOUGHT PROCESS

With the show bringing on two veterans from The Simpsons , a pretty impressive cast consistent of Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Cheri Oterri and Will Forte, I think it's pretty fair to assume that this show IS going to be made. But I definitely am starting to rethink my excitement for the show (as I've written before); while it's nice to know that they brought in two guys that were with The Simpsons dating back to when it was really, really funny, I still would feel infinitely better about the show's potential if Horwitz was fully behind it; You might find it surprising, but I absolutely LOVED Arrested Development and I'd put their season two head to head against any other season of any other show (It's not fair to contrast entire series' because of its short stint).

FUN FACTOR: 7.75

While I think it's fair to get a little less excited now that Horwitz has stepped down, at the end of the day when you have people from Arrested Development getting together with some people behind The Simpsons and you tie in the vocal talents of the many funny people that they've already acquired you'd have to think that this show will be quite hilarious. Hopefully, it won't fall the fate of so many other shows that had the Sunday 8:30 slot.

I should add that I think it's officially fair to speculate on the now legitimate thoughts that there will be an Arrested Development movie. Hey, speaking of Arrested Development....

THE STORY: JASON BATEMAN AND MIKE JUDGE TO TEAM UP

Mike Judge, creator of Beavis & Butthead and King of the Hill and director of OFfice Space and Idiocracy has found the star of his third movie; Teen Wolf Too lead, Jason Bateman. This will be the first movie Judge will make under his own production company, Ternion Productions, which he created with John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky (who wrote the forgettable Blades of Glory). The movie will be entitled Extract and according the Hollywood Reporter, it'll be about:

A flower extract plant owner (Bateman) who runs into a string of bad luck, including his wife's affair with a gigolo.

THE THOUGHT PROCESS:

These are two guys who I don't really know what to make of. Judge seems to have stokes of brilliance with his movies and tv characters ( and no, I don't enjoy King of the Hill but I also understand that being from Boston I probably shouldn't). But to me, there were some things about Idiocracy that raised some red flags. Besides that it seemed like it took Judge forever to make a follow up to Office Space, I just thought overall, outside of Semi Pro it was the laziest writing and directing I've ever seen. Sure it was still humorous, but it just seemed like Judge got bored of his own movie.

And with Bateman, I just don't know if his whole brand of humor is going to lend itself well to be the star of any movie. The more I see him in movies, the more I'm convinced that he's always going to be a sidekick character. And as I mentioned above, I loved Arrested Development so I do hope that he can make it big, I just have my doubts.

FUN FACTOR: 8

Based solely off the fact that this will be the first picture for his brand new production company, I think that this movie is going to be fantastic. As previously mentioned I do think the versatility that Judge has shown has proven him to be somewhat of a comedic genius and imagining he's going to go balls to the wall on this film. I'm also going to make a side wager that he had Bateman in mind the whole time he was writing the script for a down on his luck but still funny guy.

THE STORY: FILMING FOR FERRELL'S LAND OF THE LOST IS UNDERWAY

As USA Today delights us with the first available pictures of the Sleestak's, they have also broken the news that the new Land of the Lost starring Will Ferrell and Danny McBride is underway filming in multiple sound-stages at Universal. Here's an excerpt from that very story

The Land of the Lost film is now shooting on multiple sound stages at Universal Studios, and the Sleestak surface in a temple where Ferrell's character and his two companions (comedian Danny McBride, Pushing Daisies' Anna Friel) are hoping a giant crystal will return them to their own dimension.

The plot involves three adults (not a dad and two kids as on TV) accidentally thrust into a realm ruled by dinosaurs, monkey-men called Pakuni and the murderous Sleestak.

THE THOUGHT PROCESS:

I do think the movie could do well; apparently the director fought for the Sleestaks to be rubberized as opposed to a more modern CGI look, so it's safe to assume that the movie is going to be overtly campy which is an atmosphere that is PERFECT for Ferrell. But there is reason for concerns; writer Chris Henchy's writing history is made up of Entourage and and episode of Spin City (as well as some other stuff that I'm not familiar with) and director Brad Silberling's has done 10 Items of Less (the movie, not the TBS show) and Lemony Snickets (both of which I haven't actually seen but have heard fairly sub par stuff about).

FUN FACTOR: 7

I think it's fair to say that the we're all strattling the line of blindly seeing a movie based off the fact that Will Ferrell is in it. Semipro was poor, Blades of Glory was completely forgettable, and I have absolutely zero desire to see Stranger than Fiction or Bewitched. What does that leave us with?; Old School, Anchorman and the tweeners of Elf and Talladega Nights (I HAVE to mention here that I absolutely loved Talladega Nights but I understand a lot of people thought it was fairly eh).

But still, I'm hoping that the director stays with his gut and makes this a ridiculously over the top campy movie that Ferrell can use as a playground. And I think it's fair to assume that the director will do this just based off of the script being written about 3 grown adults as opposed to a family. However, I reserve the right to change my thoughts on this based on this summer's Adam McKay movie: Step Brothers (which looks f'n awesome)

THE STORY: IMAGES OF RAINN WILSON'S ROCKER SURFACED THIS WEEK

Images of Rainn Wilson's (Dwight from The Office) Rocker have surfaced this week. For those who aren't familiar with the movie here's a summary on IMDB:

The Rocker tells the story of a failed drummer who is given a second chance at fame. Robert "Fish" Fishman is the extremely dedicated and astoundingly passionate drummer for the eighties hair band Vesuvius, who is living the rock n' roll dream until he is unceremoniously kicked out of the band. Twenty years after his rock star fantasies are destroyed, just when Fish has finally given up all hope, he hears that his nephew's high school rock band A.D.D. is looking for a new drummer. They reluctantly make him the newest member of the band, giving him a chance to reclaim the rock God throne he's always thought he deserved, and taking the young band along for the ride of their lives.

The movie is scheduled to be released August 1st and will also star Christina Applegate, Emma Stone, Jane Lynch and Teddy Geiger.

THE THOUGHT PROCESS:

I love US' version of The Office, and I thoroughly enjoy the character of Dwight and I think that's going to be problem for Rainn's career; he might always be Dwight Shrute. When I was wishing death upon myself watching Juno and he came on, I thought "It's Dwight!" when I saw the trailer for The Last Nimsy I thought "It's Dwight!" I fear that this will always be the case for Rainn Wilson (which is why I think the rumored spin off series makes so much sense for his career. Not that I, myself am sold on it.). However, I do think the premise of the movie does sound kind of funny (though it does sound a bit too much like Jack Black's School of Rock) and could lend itself well to Rain's abilities. Plus it's drected by Peter Caltaneo, who did the Full Monty .

FUN FACTOR: 4

At the end of the day I see this going down a lot like Andy Samberg's Hot Rod . It'll be a movie that you'll think about seeing, the trailer will come out and it'll look OK, and then the negative reviews will come out and you'll opt against seeing it, and then you'll probably forget the movie completely until it surfaces on Comedy Centrail one Sunday after Waiting. But, I hope I'm wrong and I can use my Shrute Bucks to see it.

PLANET FUN QUICK STORY OF THE WEEK:

Apparently Jonah Hill is coming close to signing onto the sequel of The Transformers. Playing the comedic relief role of the "college roommate." Of course, it could all be swerve by Michael Bay, which is why it's the quick story of the week.

My Quick Thoughts: I think it's a clever rouse. And I also don't really care for Jonah Hill either.

PLANET FUN VIDEO OF THE WEEK:

Here's a side by side comparison of The Dark Knight with the original Batman. They're about as identical as they can get, and it's a pretty cool concept, ENJOY

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor