Jeffrey Blitz, the Oscar-nominated director of the spelling bee documentary, Spellbound, is in negotiations to direct Table 19.
The script was written by brothers Mark and Jay Duplass (Baghead, Cyrus) and originally had them set to direct. According to Variety, Blitz is now the leading contender for director, with Shawn Levy as producer. Levy is known for directing various TV shows and more recently Date Night.
Table 19 tells the story of individuals who have met at the designated “loser table,” aka the singles table, at a wedding reception. The story develops into the true meaning of marriage to those on the periphery, which is told through each character’s point of view.
Although the structure of the movie hasn’t really been revealed yet, it could easily have a documentary type feel, which Blitz is no stranger to. He has most recently directed episodes of The Office, which is known for its situational and mockumentary style.
Judging by the synopsis for the movie and the Duplass Brother‘s past work, I can only assume Table 19 will be a comedy. I think the unity between the the Duplass Brothers and Blitz is quite fitting, since he does have experience in the genre. And with Levy as producer, it’ll definitely add a big comedy name to the project.
As we reported recently, Levy has signed on to direct a Pinocchio prequel The Three Misfortunes of Geppetto. His most recent release, Real Steel, received mixed to positive reviews and starred Hugh Jackman.
What do you think of Blitz directing Table 19? Is it a good fit?