Adam Sandler’s goofy man-child shtick on Saturday Night Live paved the way for his movie stardom and for a number of similarly sophomoric comedians, whose boyish charm made up much of their SNL personas. Now one of Sandler’s unintended protégés will play his son in the proposed Columbia Pictures comedy, I Hate You Dad.
Lonely Island member and hipster SNL star, Andy Samberg is lined up to play Sandler’s son in the sure-to-be shenanigan-packed comedy that THR says, “centers on a father who moves in on the eve of his son’s wedding and promptly begins feuding with the bride-to-be.” Now word yet on who will be cast as the bride-to-be, much less who will direct this venture, which is one of a number of Sandler vehicles his production company, Happy Madison, has in development.
While I’m a fair-weather Samberg fan, it seems a smart call to cast him as Sandler’s son, as his daffy antics and childish mugging could serve as a meta-reminder of the comedian-turned-dramatic actor’s early years, much the way Funny People referenced Sandler’s real-life to add emotional weight to the unwieldy dramedy. Is this too much to expect from a script penned by relative unknown David Caspe? Maybe. But news that The State’s David Wain and Ken Marino (most recently seen as eager caterer, Ron Donald, in the gone-too-soon sitcom Party Down) are crafting the rewrites has me hopeful this could be more than a stupid cash-grab comedy. (I’m looking at you, Grown Ups!) Wain and Marino are known for their offbeat yet touching sense of humor, best displayed in 2008’s surprisingly endearing R-rated comedy, Role Models. So while I Hate You Dad is currently in development with no word on when it could go into production, these bare bones have me intrigued.
How about you? Do you want to see Sandler and Samberg mix it up? Who would you like to see helm this project, or play the bride-to-be?