〉 The director of Bridesmaids heads back down the aisle for a romantic comedy that’s been a long time coming.
Ghostbusters director Paul Feig is set to direct GROOM, a new romantic comedy for 20th Century Fox. While details are being kept under wraps, we’re hearing the story is a subversive take on a romantic comedy centered around a gay wedding.
Feig is producing through his Feigco shingle alongside Peter Chernin and his Chernin Entertainment. Jessie Henderson is overseeing for Feigco, while Kori Adelson will oversee for Chernin. Daria Cercek is the executive at Fox. Brooklyn 99 writer Tricia McAlpin penned the most recent draft of the script, based an original idea from Feig and a previous draft from Josh Miller & Mark Fortin.
Back in 2013, Feig revealed that he was tinkering with a gay romantic comedy idea in which an ‘Average Joe’ gets in over his head when he starts hanging out with a far more attractive man. At the time, Feig said that his dream cast included Channing Tatum and SNL’s John Milhiser, but stressed that the project was in a nascent stage. It appears, however, that the idea has evolved from Feig’s original story and the project is now gaining traction.
Feigco Entertainment has an overall deal with 20th, the expressed goal of which is to create adult-oriented comedies. In addition to the recently wrapped Ghostbusters reboot (watch the first official trailer), Feig is in development with both a sequel to and a spin-off of the 2012 Sandra Bullock / Melissa McCarthy hit The Heat. McAplin is attached to pen the script for the untitled spin-off.
Groom falls squarely within Feig’s brand, which takes traditional comedic genre blends – from romantic comedies like Bridesmaids to action comedies like Spy – and turns them on their heads with sharp-witted, often R-rated dialogue and well-orchestrated set pieces that defy or subvert stale narrative tropes. The results have been astronomical, as the director’s last three efforts alone have grossed over $400 million worldwide.
No word yet on whether Feig’s dream cast has expressed interest on the project.
Feig is repped by CAA.
McAlpin is repped by 3 Arts Entertainment and UTA.
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Josh Lyons | Managing Editor
