Well this one flew well under our radar, but a few days ago, Production Weekly tweeted that Ben Stiller is scheduled to begin production on “Help Me Spread Goodness” in April. Stiller was attached to the project last May when he was also still considering helming the Aaron Sorkin scripted “Trial Of The Chicago 7” which subsequently fell apart.
“Help Me Spread Goodness” is based on a 2008 Black List approved screenplay, and the story is “about a Chicago banker who gets swindled in a Nigerian Internet scam.” The script was written by Mark Friedman (“Home Of The Brave”) and apparently opens up its thematic scope to shed “light on current issues in Nigeria and other African countries.”
The film will be shot on location in Africa and the United States, though there is no word yet if Stiller himself will star or who else might be among the cast. With “Greenberg” on the way, and this seemingly mature project in the works, we have to say like what Stiller has cashed in his “Focker” chips to do. Oh yeah, we guess that means that puts Stiller’s involvement with Mark Romanek’s gestating “The Voices” on hold for now.