It's been three years since the last update on the very long-developing John Belushi biopic, back when Todd Phillips (The Hangover) was eying the director's chair and Steve Conrad (The Weather Man) was penning the screenplay. At the time, Zach Galifianakis, Jack Black, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Ethan Suplee and Tyler Labine were mentioned as candidates to play the late comedian, but the project never developed and it's languished in limbo ever since. But now it's suddenly been reborn, and the actors being eyed to play Belushi are more than a little surprising.
According to THR, Conrad will now take over as director, surfing the waves of his success writing Ben Stiller's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. And with him comes some new possibilities for the starring role, with Emile Hirsch and Adam Devine (Pitch Perfect) having already met with Conrad about it. In what would be a truly inspired move, Joaquin Phoenix's name has also surfaced to play Belushi. This couldn't be a Belushi biopic without someone to play his buddy Dan Akroyd, and apparently Nelson Franklin (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) has is circling that role. Akroyd is also producing along with Belushi's widow, Judy Pisano.
Out of the choices, I'm perhaps most fascinated to see what Phoenix could do playing the late Animal House star, but the prospect of seeing the charismatic Devine land such a breakout role is intriguing.
Warner Bros. is still backing this one and they're targeting spring 2014 as a start date.
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