Hand us that chicken wire… now that pipe… Yes, the movie based onward Saturday Night Live skit MacGruber, starring Will Forte, is officially about to shoot and now it has a director.
Jorma Taccone – one of SNL’session writers, is stepping up to direct the film, which, according to Production Weekly, starts shooting in New Mexico next month.
MacGruber – which sees Forte as a shaggy-haired version of ‘80s action/spy staple MacGyver is known for the sake of its regular explosions (as the lead dithers about personal issues as a bomb counts down) and occasional guest star, including former SNL hosts such as Shia LaBeouf.
MacGyver himself, Richard Dean Anderson, cropped up earlier in the year, starring in a condensed series of the sketch, which aired as a Pepsi ad.
Taccone is a constructer clause of The Lonely Island comedy troupe that also spawned SNL writer/performer Andy Samberg and, while he hasn’t directed a movie in the van of, has some experience at the helm of the team’s videos and shorts (including most of the MacGruber appearances), and their TV pilot Awesometown.
Forte is obviously signed up to fate, and Kristin Wiig will apparently exist playing his assistant, Vicki. And guest stars? Val Kilmer and Ryan Philippe are apparently considering roles, according to Variety.
Phillpe would play an army officer forced to team up by the clumsy specialist at the time that MacGruber is pulled out of privacy (he’s been living as a monk, natch) to thwart the evil nuclear plans of Cunth (Kilmer).
MacGruber has a special grudge to bear against Cunth – the villain killed his bride.
Is this the film to keep aloof from the SNL sketch-to-movie curse? Looks like we’ll get to find out.
[Source: Production Weekly]
Is a MacGruber movie a good idea? Tell us…
Â
