One of Madison's most famous former residents could be about to get the Hollywood treatment on the big screen, with Chris Farley's family throwing their support behind a cinematic biography exploring the late actor's life.
Farley's older brother, Tom Farley Jr., confirmed the project Friday, telling the Wisconsin State Journal he had confidence in the vision shared by the team behind the project.
Comedian Chris Farley, pictured on September 18, 1990, during his first season on “Saturday Night Live,” died on December 18, 1997, at the age of 33.
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The film will be based on the 2008 New York Times bestselling biography “The Chris Farley Story: A Biography in Three Acts,” which Tom Farley Jr. wrote with Tanner Colby using interviews with those close to him. of the late actor.
A key figure in attracting the Farley family to the project was longtime “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels, who is set to produce the film through his company Broadway Video.
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In addition to the team's clear vision for the film and support from Michaels, Tom Farley Jr. said the talent attached to the project made it clear the time was right to pursue an adaptation of the book.
“They started shopping in Hollywood last week,” Tom Farley Jr. told the State Journal, “and there was an immediate response.”
The film is expected to be the directorial debut of Josh Gad, a veteran actor known to most audiences for his voice work as Olaf in Disney's “Frozen” series.
Paul Walter Hauser, who won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Series or Movie in January for his performance in “Black Bird,” plans to star as Chris Farley in a film about the Madison native's life .
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Playing Farley in the film will be Emmy Award winner Paul Walter Hauser, who has made a name for himself in recent years with performances in films such as “I, Tonya,” “BlacKkKlansman” and “Richard Jewel “, in addition to its price. winning work on “Black Bird” on Apple TV.
The film's screenplay, as yet untitled, will be written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, a duo who have written for films such as “(500) Days of Summer” and “The Fault in Our Stars.”
Chris Farley grew up across the street from Lake Mendota in the Maple Bluff neighborhood of Madison.
CHRIS DOYLE, STATE JOURNAL
Chris Farley, who rose to fame in the early 1990s as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” before moving on to starring roles in feature films such as “Tommy Boy,” “Black Sheep” and “Beverly Hills Ninja “, has grown across the world. Lake Mendota Street in the Maple Bluff neighborhood of Madison.
Chris Farley graduated in 1982 from Madison Edgewood High School, where his acting skills were honed as a member of the Crusaders football team.
After high school, Chris Farley attended Marquette University in Milwaukee before moving to Chicago to hone his skills as a performer at The Second City.
After numerous stays in rehabilitation centers during his acting career, Chris Farley was found dead in his Chicago apartment on December 18, 1997, at the age of 33. A funeral service was held five days later at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church. with many of his friends from the entertainment industry, as well as his former “SNL” boss, Michaels, attending the service in Madison.
