JOHNNY KNOXVILLE AND PATTON OSWALT HEAD INTO THE WOODS FOR TODD ROHAL’S UNTITLED COMEDY
LATEST FILM FROM THE PRODUCERS OF OUR IDIOT BROTHER & THE SITTER
(New York, NY) — August 22nd, 2011 — Johnny Knoxville and Patton Oswalt have signed on to co-star in Todd Rohal’s latest, an outlandish yet poignant comedy about a pair of battling brothers who attempt to honor their ailing father by taking a troop of boys on a last ditch camping trip that goes wildly wrong. The film marks the first time comedic foils Knoxville and Oswalt will be sharing the big screen. Joining the team for the ensemble comedy are Rob Riggle, Maura Tierney & Patrice O’Neal.
The still untitled film is written and will be directed by emerging comedic auteur Todd Rohal, hot on the heels of the Sundance success of his second feature film, THE CATECHISM CATACLYSM. The film, which is loosely based on Rohal’s experiences growing up, begins production this week.
The film is being financed by Marc Turtletaub’s and Peter Saraf’s Big Beach Films. Turtletaub, Saraf and Lisa Muskat are producing, David Gordon Green is executive producing, and Michael Clark and John Hodges will oversee production for Big Beach.
“Todd looks at the world through a different set of lenses than the rest of us, and yet his vision managers to be simultaneously unique and universal,” Saraf said. “I think that’s because his humor, while twisted at times, is fundamentally compassionate and truthful. The combination of Todd with this hilariously amazing cast is going to make for an exciting ride, and we’re tightening our seatbelts.”
After co-creating the massively successful “Jackass” franchise (which ultimately spawned three theatrical films) in 2000, Knoxville has starred in a number of feature films, including MEN IN BLACK II, LORDS OF DOGTOWN, THE DUKES OF HAZZARD, THE RINGER, WALKING TALL and John Waters’ A DIRTY SHAME. Knoxville’s production company, Dickhouse Productions, which he co-owned with Spike Jonze and Jeff Tremaine, has produced all iterations of “Jackass,” as well as the acclaimed documentaries THE WILD AND WONDERFUL WHITES OF WEST VIRGINIA and THE BIRTH OF BIG AIR.
Widely regarded as one of the best and most transgressive stand-up comedians of the last decade, Oswalt has released four hit comedy albums, the last of which, “My Weakness is Strong” in 2009, was nominated for a Grammy Award. Small roles in Paul Thomas Anderson’s MAGNOLIA, Milos Forman’s MAN ON THE MOON and Todd Phillips’ STARSKY & HUTCH led to Oswalt’s breakout leading roles as the voice of Remy in the hit Pixar film RATATOUILLE and Robert Siegel’s acclaimed Sundance drama BIG FAN, for which Oswalt received a Gotham Award nomination for Breakthrough performance. For the last three seasons, Oswalt starred on Showtime’s Emmy-nominated “The United States of Tara.” This Fall, he will appear in A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS and Jason Reitman’s YOUNG ADULT with Charlize Theron and Patrick Wilson. His latest one-hour special “Finest Hour” debuts on Showtime on September 5th, with the CD/audio available September 20th on Comedy Central Records.
Big Beach is one of the leading indie film production companies. The Weinstein Company is releasing the Big Beach-produced OUR IDIOT BROTHER across the country on August 26th.
Todd Rohal, Johnny Knoxville and Patton Oswald are repped by CAA. Patton is managed by Generate and Knoxville is managed by 3 Arts.
ABOUT TODD ROHAL
Todd Rohal wrote and directed The Guatemalan Handshake in 2006, which he theatrically self-distributed around the world with a single 35mm print. He participated in the Sundance Institute’s Screenwriter’s lab in 2009 and has collaborated on music videos and DVD projects with filmmakers Cory McAbee, Jeff Krulik and the band Ola Podrida.
Todd’s latest film, THE CATECHISM CATCALYSM, an absurdist buddy movie about a disillusioned priest, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and is being released theatrically by IFC Films in October 2011.
ABOUT BIG BEACH
Founded in 2004 by Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf, Big Beach is a New York-based company that produces and finances independent films, documentaries and works for stage. Big Beach strives to create meaningful, life-affirming projects that inspire, engage and entertain. Big Beach’s most recent release is Sam Mendes’ AWAY WE GO, written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida and starring Maya Rudolph and John Krasinkski, which hit theaters in June 2009 and was distributed by Focus Features. Also in 2009, Overture Films released Christine Jeff’s SUNSHINE CLEANING based on an original script by Megan Holley and starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. The film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
Big Beach’s third release of 2009 was John Crowley’s IS ANYBODY THERE? starring Michael Caine and Bill Milner. Produced with David Heyman and co-financed by BBC Films, the film World Premiered at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival. In 2007, Big Beach produced CHOP SHOP, written and directed by Ramin Bahrani, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was released by Koch Lorber Entertainment. In 2006, Big Beach’s LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE was a critical and box office sensation following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it sold to Fox Searchlight. The dramatic comedy was written by Michael Ardnt and directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The film was nominated for Four Academy Awards including Best Picture, and won two (Original Screenplay and Supporting Actor).
Also in 2006, IFC and Red Envelope Entertainment released Big Beach’s SHERRYBABY, written and directed by Laurie Collyer and Starring Maggie Gyllenhaal. The film, which also premiered at that year’s Sundance Film Festival, garnered a Golden Globe nomination for Gyllnenhaal. Collyer was also nominated for Breakthrough Director at the 2006 Gotham Awards.
Liev Schrieber’s EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED, adapted from the best-selling novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, was released in 2005 through Warner Independent Pictures. Also released in 2005 was DUANE HOPWOOD, written and directed by Matt Mulhern. The film premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and was released by IFC the following fall.
Big Beach’s first legit production was Mike Birbiglia’s one-man Off-Broadway show, SLEEPWALK WITH ME, which ran in New York City from November 2008 through June 2009. Mike Birbiglia’s performance was nominated for several awards including the Drama Desk, Lucielle Lortel and Outer Critics Circle.
Big Beach is currently in development on a musical version of the 2006 film LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE with music and lyrics by William Finn and a book written by James Lapine.
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