So THR is reporting old casting news today about who has joined Kristen Wiig’s Untitled Wedding comedy formerly known as “Bridesmaids” (though their report seems to suggest that the title is back on and we suppose a few name are 100% confirmed now).
However, this is a small opportunity to add to the “Bridesmaids” conversation and report that Michael Hitchcock has joined the cast according to one of the recent issues of Production Weekly.
They also report that Aussie writer/actress Rebel Wilson from the down under TV show “Bogan Pride” is in the cast (but we won’t pretend to say we know who that is). IMDB (which tends to get small casting info first) also says that Kali Hawk (Faizon Love’s younger girlfriend in “Couples Retreat”) is in the film as well.
As for Hitchcock, he’s best known for roles in the film troupe clique of Christopher Guest including a standout role in “Best In Show” alongside Parker Posey, plus recent appearances on “Glee” (which has obviously made troupe member Jane Lynch a star). Hitchcock won’t have a huge part, but the film is full of great supporting parts regardless. It’s small news to be sure, but one, we really like Hitchcock and secondly we’re greatly anticipating the first female-led Judd Apatow produced project.
The cast is an eclectic bunch that includes Wiig as the lead, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm, Oscar winner Dianne Wiest (known recently for great work on HBO’s “In Treatment”) Matthew Lucas (U.K. hit comedy show “Little Britain,” Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland”), Chris O’Dowd (“The I.T. Crowd,” the upcoming “Gulliver’s Travels”), Ellie Kemper (Erin on “The Office”), Melissa McCarthy (“Gilmore Girls”), and Wendy McLendon-Covey (“Reno:911”) all joining the film’s ensemble.
The film centers on Annie (Wiig), a simple and single 30-something Midwestern girl (with poor dating track record) who is asked to be her best friend Lillian’s (Rudolph) maid of honor. However, having never done the job, she struggles to please the snobby, rich bridesmaids at every pre-wedding event. One of Lillian’s best friends is essentially the bridesmaid from hell — who attempts to take over the maid of honor duties from the inexperience Annie — and we assume that role is probably Rose Byrne’s as she’s one of the bigger stars cast in this picture. There’s an awkward policeman in the film who vies for Wiig’s affections (eventually) and we think it’s a pretty good guess that role probably belongs to Hamm.
Having read an early draft of “Bridesmaids” only attributed to Annie Mumolo, we can completely understand why Wiig wanted to the part of this project and why she brought it to Judd Apatow (she’s credited on the updated drafts we haven’t read yet); it is tailor made for the actress and feels like it could break her out in a big way.
The screenplay, or at least the version we read feels like a quintessential Apatowian project in that it’s tremendously funny, even silly at times, but is underscored with a foundation of flawed characters struggling to grow up and deal with the anxieties of 30-something adulthood (the Wiig character is essentially watching all of her best friends get married while she remains lonely and single). Even this early draft we read has so much potential so we can’t wait to see the final version (someone please send, we know it’s been making the rounds).
The picture is directed by Paul Feig, which reunites Apatow with his “Freaks & Geeks” creator and co-producer. “Bridesmaids,” or whatever they end up calling it, is already scheduled for a May 13, 2011 is supposed to start shooting this month in Los Angeles.