One of the buzziest titles from this year’s Toronto Film Festival was unfortunately a movie I didn’t actually see, Chris Rock‘s Top Five, which Paramount Pictures acquired for somewhere around $12.5-15 million and they aren’t wasting time getting the ensemble comedy into theaters.
The studio announced today a December 5 limited release with a December 12 wide release to follow. Written, directed by, and starring Rock, Top Five tells the story of New York City comedian-turned-film star Andre Allen (Rock), whose unexpected encounter with a journalist forces him to confront both the career that made him famous and the life he left behind.
From what I’ve been told the film is great not only for those that are in it, but also for the unexpected cameos. I don’t know who else would be left, but the cast list includes Rosario Dawson, J.B. Smoove, Gabrielle Union, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd and Romany Malco.
“Chris and I go back decades, both personally and professionally, and so I am particularly proud to have watched his career grow to its highest heights over many decades. This film showcases brilliantly how talented Chris is as a filmmaker and storyteller and we are thrilled to be partnering with him, Scott Rudin and my longtime friend, the legendary Barry Diller and IACF for its worldwide launch,” said Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures.
Like I said, the buzz on this one was high at the fest and we won’t have to wait long to see it.
