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Woody Allen Trying to Figure Out a Buddy Comedy with Louis C.K.

by Ethan Anderton
July 17, 2013
Source: NY Times

If Comic-Con wasn't kicking off today, this might be the best news we hear all week. Even so, this little tidbit from director Woody Allen is fantastic. Later this year we'll see Allen's film Blue Jasmine led by Cate Blanchett, and in that film is some great and surprising comedic talent. Bobby Cannavale and even Andrew Dice Clay have roles in the film. But perhaps my favorite bit of casting is Louis C.K., whose comedic style is very reminiscent of a much more grumpy and cynical Woody Allen. The good news is the director is quite impressed, even smitten, with the comedian's work, and they will likely end up doing a new film together.

Speaking with The New York Times, Allen explains how he came to cast Louis, who was not on his radar:

"I didn’t know Louis C.K. at all. But someone showed me a tape of Bobby Cannavale – it was to see Bobby Cannavale, and he was in a skit with Louis C.K. Cannavale, I thought, yes, he’s great and right for this part. And I said but who’s that guy with him? He’s wonderful. So we had him originally for the Andrew Dice Clay part. And he read it, and he read it very well. We thought, he’s so likeable. He’s clearly such a sweet guy. I was dying to use him in something, so we used him to play the sweeter guy."

It's so strange but not surprising to learn that Allen is so ingrained in his own bubble of work and privacy that he wasn't even aware of Louis C.K., a stand-up comedian who is currently at the top of his game and one of the most popular working right now. But the good news is that Allen is now fully aware of the comedian's skills (he's even considering a return to stand-up comedy as well) and wants to star in a buddy comedy with him:

"I’d love to do a movie with him and me, a comedy. I’m looking for some idea that would work, for the two of us to do. When I finished ['Blue Jasmine'], I went into my room and thought, 'What would be a fun picture? My first thought for a while was, 'Can I come up with something at the moment that I could do with Louis C.K.?' But I wasn’t able to get the right idea, and time was starting to move. Of course I hope that people aren’t disappointed that I don’t act with him [in "Blue Jasmine"], and he doesn’t have a commensurately comic part with his talent. But some day, I will get something that we could do together, because I do think it would be fun. I’m such a great fan of his."

Considering Allen has been doing one movie every year for a long time now, we're hoping this team-up isn't too far down the road. For now, his next film is another secretive, currently untitled project starring Colin Firth and Emma Stone. In fact, that's the film he wrote when he couldn't come up with something to do with Louis C.K. so quickly. Eileen Atkins, Marcia Gay Harden, Hamish Linklater, Simon McBurney, Jacki Weaver, Jeremy Shamos and Erica Leerhsen also star in the film whose plot details are scarce, but The Film Stage has learned it's set in France during the 1920s and 1930s. Stay tuned.

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