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Jake Kasdan to Direct Sony's Bad Teacher Comedy

by Alex Billington
May 27, 2009

Columbia Pictures has hired Jake Kasdan to direct the comedy Bad Teacher co-written by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg (writers on "The Office" as well as the upcoming Ghostbusters sequel). The screenplay centers on a foul-mouthed seventh grade teacher who is dumped by her sugar daddy. She starts to pursue a colleague instead, which provokes a conflict with the school's model teacher, who is after the same guy. Kasdan wrote and directed Zero Effect and The TV Set and also directed Judd Apatow's Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story for the same studio back in 2007. This should be a good fit for Kasdan.

Not to make this comparison right off the bat, but we're all familiar with school-based comedies like Election, School of Rock, Clueless, and of course, Rushmore. I'm hoping that Bad Teacher (which has a title like Bad Santa that implies some down 'n dirty humor) can live up to those other great school comedies, because I never like seeing wasted talent. For better or worse, Apatow isn't involved with this project at all. I'm also curious what everyone thinks about the quality of Columbia's comedies these days - You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Step Brothers, The House Bunny, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, and Year One. Good or bad?

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peloquin

Columbia's going downhill fast...I liked Step Brothers, but only because of the performances by Reilly and Ferrel, the writing was just bad, but the improv made it worth seeing. All the others, including Walk Hard, were terrible...
J.J.

Walk Hard was actually pretty funny due to the whole apatow team as well as members from snl involved with it.... step brothers of course was awesome. MALL COP WAS HORRIBLE. The house bunny was actually watchable, wasn't that bad of a movie- the premise has just been overworked is all. zohan is horrible but i think gets tolerable after the first time while year one for some reason doesn't look as funny as it does on paper (harold ramis directing, michael cera and jack black in lead roles, cameos from the judd apatow team) but maybe i could be wrong... otherwise, i think sony's columbia is doing pretty okay for a comedy branch seeing how most of its movies are action. notice i didn't say all, just most.
Julius

I read this script. It's hilarious. Could see this being Elizabeth Banks or Anna Faris.
b

I also read this script, and actually was reading it again this morning on commute - it's really tight, solid writing. Hilarious and think there'd have to be a lot stacked up to make it a flop.