It was just yesterday that Chris Rock not only teased a potential upcoming tour with Dave Chappelle, but also that he was going to be shooting a new film this spring.
He didn’t say, or even hint at what the film could be; I
did some speculating, saying that it could be the previously-announced feature documentary called Credit Is The Devil, which has been on his slate for a couple of years now or more. He’s been talking about doing it since Good Hair was out.
But it looks like that won’t be the film, because Showbiz 411 is reporting exclusively that they have a copy of a casting call for a project titled Finally Famous, which Rock penned the script for, and will also direct, with Scott Rudin producing (he also produced Chris Rock’s Broadway debut, The Mother-F with the Hat).
Here’s the project’s synopsis:
ANDRE ALLEN is a comedian turned film star who, despite the expectations of his
millions of fans, is determined to reinvent himself as a “serious” actor. Although his latest
pretentiously historical film project is tanking, his upcoming television wedding to pretty, popular
reality star, ERICA LONG, is the biggest media event of the year. In the midst of all the frenzy
leading up to his televised nuptials, Andre agrees to be interviewed for the New Yorker by
CHELSEA BROWN, a gorgeous but no-frills young woman with a sharp intelligence that matches
his own. It’s a feisty, funny, no-holds-barred interaction that may well change the course of both
their lives…
Showbizz411 says that the casting call is currently looking for Rock’s love interest (likely the Chelsea Brown character), who should be in her late 20s to early 30s. Hah! Isn’t Chris pushing 50 years old right now? Come on Chris! No love for the 40+ year old black actress, huh?
Although the casting notice calls for an actress of “Any ethnicity,” so she may not look like what you think she’d look like, if you catch my drift.
The same goes for the actress who’ll be cast as Chris’ soon-to-be wife, Erica Long, who’s to be in her late 20s to 40 years old (obviously willing to go older for the woman he’s about to marry), and also can be “Any ethnicity.”
Who would cast in either role?
Here’s the breakdown, including a part for a character named Silk, Andre’s bodyguard whose ethnic make-up isn’t much of a mystery:
[CHELSEA BROWN] Late 20s to early 30s, this attractive woman is “vintage, downtown N.Y.C.
funky,” with a lacerating intelligence and humor that is disarming. Chelsea has been assigned to
interview Andre Allen for a prestigious New York magazine, but she’s a journeyman journalist
who makes her living writing for a variety of publications. Pregnant as a teen, and now a single
mother, Chelsea has had a wild past, but is now in the “program” and hoping for a stable
relationship with her current boyfriend. Chelsea’s initially fractious interaction with Andre soon
flares into a passionate tryst. Any ethnicity…LEAD
[ERICA LONG] Late 20s to 40, she’s beautiful, glamorous and “expensive.” A popular reality TV
star, she helped Andre get clean — and he’s forever grateful for her assistance. Erica is a
camera-hungry celebrity who is completely comfortable in the spotlight. When she persuades
Andre to get married on her show in the biggest media event of the year, her stardom is all set to
go stratospheric. Any ethnicity…LEAD
[SILK] 30s, Andre’s “security guard-slash-assistant,” who is never far from Andre’s side. A burly,
very big and imposing African American guy. A real character, he has a thing for big
women…SUPPORTING LEAD
