Director Rawson Marshall Thurber Also Rewriting Adaptation Of Gerard Way’s ‘The Umbrella Academy’
We love Jason Bateman. There’s no denying the actor was hilariously great on the career-rebounding “Arrested Development” and while he’s been cast in a plethora of films since — “Juno,” “Hancock,” “The Kingdom,” “State Of Play,” “The Switch,” “Paul,” “Horrible Bosses” and the upcoming “The Change-Up” — he’s always been the bridesmaid never the bride. Always adding to a comedic or dramatic ensemble the actor (nor any studios) have been willing to roll the dice on Bateman as a bonafide leading man, but it seems that’s all about change.
The dudes over at Pajiba are reporting that Bateman will now head up the forever in the works comedy “We’re The Millers” with “Dodgeball” helmer Rawson Marshall Thurber (best name ever) in the director’s chair. In various stages of development for nearly a decade that saw folks like directors John Morris and Sean Anders and actors Will Arnett and Steve Buscemi go through the revolving door, the film is about as high concept as they come. Bateman would play a low level pot dealer who decides to make one last big score. However, to get the supply he needs for the job, he puts together a fake family which includes a “stoner neighbor kid who is borderline retarded and a sassmouth prostitute” herds them into an RV and heads to Mexico to pick up 1,400 pounds of marijuana. Maybe you won’t be surprised to hear that it’s described as a mix between “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “The Hangover” and “Horrible Bosses.”
Of course, it remains to be seen if this iteration of the project sticks, but a re-team of Thurber and Bateman — who memorably played the tweaked out ESPN Ocho announcer Pepper Brooks — is certainly promising. But even if it doesn’t come through, Thurber is keeping busy. You might remember that way back in the day, My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way had set up an adaptation of his comic book “The Umbrella Academy” over at Universal with Mark Bomback (“Race To Witch Mountain“,”Live Free Or Die Hard“) writing the script. Well, the work of Way is still headed to the big screen, but now Thurber will take a crack at it.
Deadline reports that the “Dodgeball” helmer will do a rewrite on the story of a group of superheroes who must unite and carry out the world-saving plans of their deceased father, an alien disguised as a famous entrepreneur. Say what you will about the utterly shitacular music Way plays in his day job, his comic is actually supposed to be pretty good. Who knew?
Bateman was the sole lead fo Extract, and while they were co-leads, he was also a lead in both The Change-Up and The Switch (both of which he\’s the best part of).