Ugh, to pick my opinion from the two options in the teaser above I run to “bad idea” as Paramount Pictures has just sent over a press release announcing the development of a movie around Tom Cruise’s character in Tropic Thunder, mega-producer Les Grossman. The character was used in a series of marketing pieces for MTV’s Movie Awards and Cruise reprised the character for the show’s opening segment and again for a dance sequence during the show. Of course, interest in these small snippets and the response to Cruise’s part in Tropic Thunder is what has encouraged this project as movie studios again over-estimate Internet interest to actual general audience interest.
The press release was written as if Grossman is a real person, so instead of trying to explain it every step of the way here it is in its entirety:
HOLLYWOOD, CA (June 9, 2010) – Paramount Pictures and MTV Films announced today that they are set to develop a movie around mega-producer Les Grossman. The announcement comes on the heels of Grossman’s groundbreaking and visionary production of the soon-to-be Emmy award-winning 2010 MTV Movie Awards Sunday night. Tom Cruise, along with Ben Stiller and Stuart Cornfeld of Red Hour Films will produce and have secured the life rights to Grossman.
Grossman, best known as a mega producer, has most recently mentored talents such as Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. In 2008, Grossman was introduced to the masses by Stiller in the comedy Tropic Thunder where the famed producer had a cameo playing himself.
Said Ben Stiller: “Les Grossman’s life story is an inspiring tale of the classic human struggle to achieve greatness against all odds. He has assured me he plans to quote, ‘F**king kill the sh*t out of this movie and make Citizen f**king Kane look like a piece of crap home movie by the time we are done.’ I am honored to be working with him.”
When asked what the screenplay was about Grossman responded: “To quote my great friend Kirk Lazarus, ‘I don’t read the script, the script reads me.'”
Adam Goodman, Paramount Film Group President said, “Everything I learned in this business, I’ve learned from Les. I started out as his assistant, and from the first day he threw his desk at me when I got his lunch order wrong, I have loved him like a father. I am forever grateful to Ben and Stuart Cornfeld and their ability to secure his highly-coveted life rights,”
Tom Cruise is said to be in talks to portray Grossman in the film.
Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) will write the script. He is repped by WME.
WME also reps Ben Stiller and Red Hour Films.
The fact it says Cruise is “in talks” for the role of Grossman is comedy to me. How can they make this movie without Cruise in the lead role? Isn’t that the only real appeal to the character? Obviously, this is just be a part of the “make believe Grossman’s real” part of the release, but gimme a break. Cruise ended up earning a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of the character in Tropic Thunder.
I leave the question to you, based on the idea this is heading into development alone are you interested? I certainly realize something magical could happen and this could end up actually being funny, but at what point does a foul-mouthed producer just become… old? He dances, he swears and… does he do anything else?
