Judd Apatow-Produced ‘House Of Joel’ Comedy Project Is Still Very Much Alive, Has A ‘Human Giant’ Writer Onboard
At the red carpet premiere for “True Grit,” we took the opportunity to ask Bill Hader about a certain impending project, a certain big-time sequel that may reunite a certain beloved cast. Less than a month ago, word got out that Sony was eying Hader, Will Forte and Anna Faris as potential proton-pack wielders in “Ghostbusters 3.” And then Dan Aykroyd himself confirmed that Hader was one of the “strong possibilities.”
But has anyone actually contacted Hader about this?
“I heard about it the same way you guys did!” Hader exclaimed, clearly used to the question by now. “I went online and was like, woah! Cool! All my friends were calling, ‘are you gonna be in Ghostbusters 3?’ I obviously am very flattered, but I don’t know anything about it.” So what’s the deal? More than likely, Hader remains on a list of potential next-gen Ghostbusters, but with a script probably undergoing revisions as we speak, no one has reached out to potential stars. Typical, really.
Updated; Anna Faris says she’s not heard a thing about her supposed role in the film either.
In the meantime, Hader, who will be seen in next year’s “Paul,” continues work on a Judd Apatow-produced script he’s penned (with “SNL” writer Simon Rich) titled “House of Joel.” Originally named “When A Stranger Calls A Dude,” the premise features Hader as a slacker named Joel who is pursued by a mysterious psychopath. The project was announced in late 2009 and there’s been no movement since, but Hader was glad to inform us it’s not dead.
“We’re working on a new draft with Jason Woliner, from The Human Giant,” he says. “Judd is very much a believer in it and we’re just having fun. I just talked to Judd about it last night.” Hader, who has no writing credits to his name, is actually a dedicated cinema lover who recently programmed a month of films for TCM, so he’s likely operating from a level of knowledge of the genre. Apatow’s star has dimmed as of late, but we do hope he still has enough clout to get this project off the ground. A suggestion: the execs will love how “House of Joel 3D” rolls off the tongue. Go with it, Judd.
