Emile Hirsch or Adam Devine may star…
‘The Pursuit Of Happyness’ screenwriter Steve Conrad is said to be taking the director’s chair for the long-in-the-works indie biopic of the late great comedian, actor and musician John Belushi.
Conrad, whose credits also include Gore Verbinski’s ‘The Weather Man’ and Ben Stiller’s upcoming ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,’ replaces Todd Phillips who was originally on board to direct. The script for the project comes from Conrad and Phillips.
Sources close to the project tell THR that Conrad has been in talks with the likes of Emile Hirsch (‘Prince Avalanche,’ ‘Into the Wild’), and ‘Workaholics’ star Adam Devine to portray Belushi. Interestingly, Joaquin Phoenix’s name has also been linked to the role.
The trade also reports that Nelson Franklin (‘The Millers,’ ‘Veep,’ ‘New Girl’) is in the mix to play the Belushi’s ‘Saturday Night Live,’ ‘1941’ and ‘Blues Brothers’ co-star and best friend, Dan Ackroyd.
The film is said to tell the story of “a man that embodied both the glory and the tragedy of the American dream as it focuses on Belushi at the height of his fame.”