After working for a big paycheck with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon on “Four Christmases,” director Seth Gordon has now lined up two Black List indie-comedies as his next directing efforts. Muuuuch better and where we expected him to initially go.
Gordon, who made a name for himself with excellent documentary “The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters,”will helm Rashida Jones’ writing collaboration with Will McCormack, divorce-comedy “Celeste And Jesse Forever” and has lined up long-gestating workplace-comedy “Horrible Bosses.”
Scribed by Mike Markowitz, “Horrible Bosses” is being described as “‘Office Space’ with murder” and centers on a trio of workers that teams to murder the titular overlords after being railroaded by them one too many times. The New Line project has gone through many directors including Frank Oz as well as a rewrite by “Freaks And Geeks” lead John Francis Daley and Jonathan Daley but it is hoped Gordon can finally set it straight.
“Celeste And Jesse Forever,” meanwhile, has a much more momentum. The script made the latest installment of the Black List, has co-scribe Rashida Jones attached to star, was picked up by Overture Films last year and — with Gordon on board — is set to begin shooting this April. The story itself follows the story of a young couple who try to maintain their friendship while going through a divorce and pursuing new relationships. Jones, however, will only have a supporting role and the rest of the cast is still being put together.
Either way, it’s good to see a talent like Gordon moving away from run-of-the-mill studio comedies and back to his roots.