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Looks like Todd Phillips and Joel Silver were serious about their intention to populate their under-the-radar Warner Bros comedy Project X with a cast of unknowns. They’ve set up the website www.projectxopencall.com, looking for 18-ish actors to submit taped auditions for a raunchy $12 million budget comedy that will be helmed by British video/commercials director Nima Nourizadeh, with Phillips producing and Silver executive producer. As a director, Phillips has helped create stars with comedies like The Hangover, Old School and Road Trip, but there, he gave a showcase to established actors who needed a nudge. I will still be amazed if he and Silver have the stones to cast complete unknowns for the lead roles of a studio comedy. Phillips’ Green Hat Films and Silver Pictures execs have been developing a script last fall, written by Matt Drake from a treatment by Michael Bacall.
Todd Phillips, Joel Silver Plan To Tap Unknowns For Mystery Laugher For `Project X’
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If it’s only a $12m budget (I can’t believe I just typed that seriously) then casting unknowns won’t be a problem for them. If the script’s great and they put P&A behind it, they won’t need a box-cover/poster face for it.
Viral “Word of Fingers” is becoming a presence. It could work. Phillips’ll get favors from “faces” for cameos and it’ll all work out.
It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.
It’s time to bring back some Old School favorites like Hughes and Hosking. Let’s drop the blindfolds!
Regards,
Jillian
This all depends on what one means by “unknown”. Is that a bunch of kids in Indiana sending in these auditions? Or someone new (that is without major film credits) with, say, WME. I suspect the latter.
So how can and do I send my audition tape in and to who? Because I sit in Africa and I bet you can’t get anyone more “unknown” than me!!! Plus this sounds like one hell of a fun movie to do.
I have to agree with Zippy. Producers will want someone with a team behind them. There are too many up & comers in town (by town I mean Hollywood to the hopeful in Africa- who I wish all the luck in the world) that have big agents behind them already. And with a 12 million dollar budget, there is still a nice amount to pay the talent. Even unknowns will make a nice pay day. But let’s remember that the “name” in Road Trip was Tom Green… who at the time was a TV star. So it’s not like what he’s doing is totally ludacris. I am actually hoping that he has supporting roles for a bit older actor (like 25-35 age range). But if he sticks true to the mind-set of using total unknowns, then even I would not have a shot (with 6 indie feature starring roles under my belt). This will be interesting to watch.
I hope he picks unknows actors to give ppl a chance that they normally wouldnt have. Imagine how their career would jumpstart!
Looking forward to seeing this next Saturday… see if this approach paid off