Akiva Schaffer Archives - The Playlist

Liam Neeson Being Courted To Star In A ‘Naked Gun’ Reboot From Director Akiva Schaffer

Edward Davis — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 21:31:42 +0000

Are you missing Police Squad Sgt. Frank Drebin in your life? Of course, you are; you’re only human. Writer/director/comedian Akiva Schaffer seems to understand this, as does Paramount and apparently Liam Neeson. That’s right, we’re getting a “Naked Gun” reboot from Schaffer, known for his Lonely Island comedies with Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone, Paramount, and Neeson in the starring made famous by Leslie Nielsen in the 1980s and then again in the 1990s.

Continue reading Liam Neeson Being Courted To Star In A ‘Naked Gun’ Reboot From Director Akiva Schaffer at The Playlist.

‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’ Is A Chart Topping Confection From The Lonely Island [Review]

Kevin Jagernauth — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 13:01:45 +0000

For years, Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer — collectively known as pop song pranksters The Lonely Island — have perfected their craft at writing over-sexed, yet perfectly produced, and remarkably accomplished jams that are too well made to be called novelty, and too layered to be simply labeled as parodies. They’ve roped in artists as wide-ranging as Akon, Michael Bolton, and Julian Casablancas to give their efforts further cred (and laughs), and have poked fun at nearly every corner of popular music.

Continue reading ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’ Is A Chart Topping Confection From The Lonely Island [Review] at The Playlist.

Check Out The New Poster For Judd Apatow’s Lonely Island Movie, Now Titled ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’

The Playlist Staff — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 13:38:19 +0000

Check Out The New Poster For Judd Apatow’s Lonely Island Movie, Now Titled ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’

Continue reading Check Out The New Poster For Judd Apatow’s Lonely Island Movie, Now Titled ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’ at The Playlist.

Lonely Island Movie Is Called ‘Conner4real,’ Targets Justin Bieber & Katy Perry, Adds Sarah Silverman, Imogen Poots, & More

The Playlist Staff — Thu, 21 May 2015 20:24:04 +0000

Lonely Island Movie Is Called 'Conner4real,’ Targets Justin Bieber & Katy Perry, Adds Sarah Silverman, Imogen Poots, & More

Continue reading Lonely Island Movie Is Called ‘Conner4real,’ Targets Justin Bieber & Katy Perry, Adds Sarah Silverman, Imogen Poots, & More at The Playlist.

Lonely Island Teams With Judd Apatow For Music World Set Feature Film

The Playlist Staff — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 13:05:00 +0000

Lonely Island Teams With Judd Apatow For Music World Set Feature Film

Continue reading Lonely Island Teams With Judd Apatow For Music World Set Feature Film at The Playlist.

Watch: James Franco, Zach Galifiankis & Ed Norton Feature In ‘Spring Breakers’-Style New Lonely Island Video

The Playlist Staff — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:16:00 +0000

Watch: James Franco, Zach Galifiankis & Ed Norton Feature In 'Spring Breakers'-Style New Lonely Island Video

Continue reading Watch: James Franco, Zach Galifiankis & Ed Norton Feature In ‘Spring Breakers’-Style New Lonely Island Video at The Playlist.

Review: ‘The Watch’ Is A Lifeless Sci-Fi Comedy With Moments Of Spirited Improv

The Playlist Staff — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 21:43:09 +0000

Review: ‘The Watch’ Is A Lifeless Sci-Fi Comedy With Moments Of Spirited Improv

Continue reading Review: ‘The Watch’ Is A Lifeless Sci-Fi Comedy With Moments Of Spirited Improv at The Playlist.

‘The Watch’ Director Akiva Schaffer Talks The Influence Of ‘Alien’ & ‘Ghostbusters’, Working With Doug Jones & More

The Playlist Staff — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:03:01 +0000

'The Watch' Director Akiva Schaffer Talks The Influence Of 'Alien' & 'Ghostbusters', Working With Doug Jones & More

Continue reading ‘The Watch’ Director Akiva Schaffer Talks The Influence Of ‘Alien’ & ‘Ghostbusters’, Working With Doug Jones & More at The Playlist.

5 Directors Who Could Helm Marvel’s ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ Movie

The Playlist Staff — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 17:39:00 +0000

5 Directors Who Could Helm Marvel's 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' Movie

Continue reading 5 Directors Who Could Helm Marvel’s ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ Movie at The Playlist.

Ben Stiller May Take A ‘Neighborhood Watch’ With Akiva Schaffer Offered Director’s Chair

The Playlist Staff — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 06:51:30 +0000

Ben Stiller May Take A 'Neighborhood Watch' With Akiva Schaffer Offered Director's Chair

Continue reading Ben Stiller May Take A ‘Neighborhood Watch’ With Akiva Schaffer Offered Director’s Chair at The Playlist.

Exclusive: New Bill Hader Film ‘Vaughn Meader’ Being Directed By ‘The Wrestler’ Scribe Rob Siegel

The Playlist Staff — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 09:05:39 +0000

Exclusive: New Bill Hader Film 'Vaughn Meader' Being Directed By 'The Wrestler' Scribe Rob Siegel

Continue reading Exclusive: New Bill Hader Film ‘Vaughn Meader’ Being Directed By ‘The Wrestler’ Scribe Rob Siegel at The Playlist.

Could ‘Adventurer’s Handbook’ Also Star James McAvoy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt Or Chris Pine? Jonah Hill Talks ‘Zoolander 2,’ Plus ‘Cyrus’ Rollout Sched

Edward Davis — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:12:00 +0000

When the spec script, “The Adventurer’s Handbook” — written by Jonah Hill, Matt Spicer and Max Winkler — made the rounds in Hollywood it was a white hot property and Universal jumped on the project allegedly in a seven figure deal.

Talent quickly circled the project. Hill and buddy Jason Schwartzman were pretty much immediately attached as the leads and then Jason Segel and director Akiva Schaffer, known for his SNL Lonely Island skits with Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone soon followed.

Continue reading Could ‘Adventurer’s Handbook’ Also Star James McAvoy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt Or Chris Pine? Jonah Hill Talks ‘Zoolander 2,’ Plus ‘Cyrus’ Rollout Sched at The Playlist.

‘The Adventurer’s Handbook’ With Jonah Hill, Jason Segel & Jason Schwartzman Won’t Shoot This Year & Is A Long Way Off

Kevin Jagernauth — Tue, 25 May 2010 13:44:00 +0000

Back in April, Jonah Hill told Collider that the much-touted, very expensive screenplay “The Adventurer’s Handbook” was going to be “the next movie I’m shooting.” To refresh your memory, the project penned by Hill, Matt Spicer and Max Winkler, the film will follow four childhood friends who embark on a global adventure inspired by the stories of explorers detailed in Mick Conefrey’s book “The Adventurer’s Handbook: Life Lessons From History’s Great Explorers.”

Yet, they all play pretty flawed characters.

Continue reading ‘The Adventurer’s Handbook’ With Jonah Hill, Jason Segel & Jason Schwartzman Won’t Shoot This Year & Is A Long Way Off at The Playlist.

‘The Adventurer’s Handbook’ To Shoot Later This Year?

Rodrigo Perez — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:42:00 +0000

Curious about what’s going on “The Adventurer’s Handbook“? Remember that project? The much-touted, very expensive screenplay, that’s now starring a veritable super-group of comedy up-and-comers turned relatively big such as Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman and Jason Segel? (and no it’s not Judd Apatow related)

“I think we’re going to shoot that this year!” Jonah Hill said in an interview today with Movieline. Describing the project he said, “[It] would be great . I think we just really liked ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Goonies’ and adventure movies from the ’80s when we were growing up.

Continue reading ‘The Adventurer’s Handbook’ To Shoot Later This Year? at The Playlist.

Uma Thurman Joins The’ Ceremony’

Rodrigo Perez — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:19:00 +0000

Uma Thurman has joined the cast of “Ceremony,” a project we’ve been keeping an eye on because it has not only an interesting cast, but some up-and-coming filmmakers behind it.

The film is the directorial debut of Max Winkler (son of Henry Winkler) and Winkler helped write another project with up-and-coming talent: the upcoming Jonah Hill comedy “The Adventurer’s Handbook” directed by Akiva Schaffer (known for his SNL Lonely Island skits) — which stars Jason Schwartzman and Hill — and produced and directed episodes of the excellent web series “Clark and Michael” that starred Clark Duke and Michael Cera which we adored (if you’ve never seen, go run now).

Continue reading Uma Thurman Joins The’ Ceremony’ at The Playlist.

Jason Segel Joins Jonah Hill And Jason Schwartzman In ‘Adventurer’s Handbook’

Simon Dang — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 03:32:00 +0000

Jason Segel has joined the cast of Akiva Schaffer’s “The Adventurer’s Handbook” and will star alongside Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman.

Scribed by Hill, Matt Spicer and Max Winkler (son of Henry), the film will follow four childhood friends who embark on a global adventure inspired by the stories of explorers detailed in Mick Conefrey’s book “The Adventurer’s Handbook: Life Lessons From History’s Great Explorers.”

Segel will play one of the four friends, a talented musician – surprise, surprise – who never got his act together becoming a backup piano player and an alcoholic.

Continue reading Jason Segel Joins Jonah Hill And Jason Schwartzman In ‘Adventurer’s Handbook’ at The Playlist.

Update: Nick Stoller Not Directing Jonah Hill’s ‘Adventurer’s Handbook’

Rodrigo Perez — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:27:00 +0000

Last we heard about Jonah Hill’s “The Adventurer’s Handbook” — a spec-script co-written with Max Winkler and Matt Spicer — the screenplay had been sold to Universal for seven figures and Akiva Schaffer, known for his SNL Lonely Island skits with Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone was in negotiations to direct (and Jason Schwartzman c0-starring alongside Hill).

But looks like Schaffer is out and according to an L.A. Times article about Universal and its relationship and deals with Apatow and his buddies, Nick Stoller — director of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” — has got the gig.

Continue reading Update: Nick Stoller Not Directing Jonah Hill’s ‘Adventurer’s Handbook’ at The Playlist.