Both Zach Galifianakis and Todd Phillips recognize they have a good thing going.
The unexpected breakout success of “The Hangover” ($210 million plus! It’s currently the second-highest R-Rated comedy ever), put them both on the mainstream map and Galifianakis was easily recognized as the comedic ace in the hole of the picture.
Just a few days ago, it was reported that the bearded comedian was mulling over three different potential Phillips projects, one of them being “Man-Witch,” a project that once had Jack Black attached.
According to Variety, Galifianakis has decided, but he actually seems to have passed on the most well-known project (“Man-Witch”) and instead has opted to go with a project called “Due Date,” and of course, has officially now signed on for “The Hangover 2,” — there’s no stopping a sequel from this one.
However, the ‘Hangover’ sequel will have to wait an extra year, because “Due Date,” a “comedy about fatherhood that stars an expectant dad (uncast so far) and his unlikely travel companion (Galifianakis) race cross-country in hopes of making it home for the birth of his first child.”
Sounds pretty familiar, huh? It’s like a rewrite of “The Hangover” only instead of dudes trying to get to a wedding on time, it’s getting to a birth on time. Meh. Hopefully they can make this one sound a bit more interesting when it hits the screen and perhaps with some inspired casting — not the Hangover’s dull and flat straight-man Justin Bartha — they can inspire this thing to rise above predictable and conventional territory.
“Due Date” is set to start shooting at the beginning of this October and the plan is to release it June 2010. “The Hangover 2” hopes to star production October 2010 with a release date being pegged for Memorial Day weekend 2011. Phillips apparently took back-end profits on “The Hangover” and now is apparently set to be stinking rich.