Yes, that Christopher McDonald. The character actor that told Happy Gilmore, ‘I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast!’ He’s also the drug-induced host of the television game show Ellen Burnstyn can’t stop watching in Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem For A Dream.
The actor’s directorial debut comes in the form of Wildwood Inn, with Malin Akerman attached, as well as reports of Jim Sturgess circling the project. Note: these reports have since been denied by the actor’s publicist, despite confirmation from one of the film’s producers.
The script comes courtesy of television vets (Home Improvement, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch) Jon and Lisa Vandergriff and tells the story of two young, struggling married couples who vacation to the same cabin getaway at alternating times of the year. Through the cabin ‘welcome’ log do these couples carry on extra-marital affairs. Doesn’t sound too far off from Sturgess’ upcoming romance One Day, which he’s starring in alongside Anne Hathaway. But then, it doesn’t sound too far off from many of the romances getting green-lit these days.
Despite the redundancy, it’s great to see McDonald get the capital together to direct a first feature. The other two (or, perhaps, other three) leads have yet to be announced.
What do you think of this idea? Can it work as a romance? As a hit film?