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NBC Greenlights Three Comedy Pilots

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday January 18, 2013 @ 11:15am PSTTags: Adam McKay, Greg Daniels, NBC, Will Ferrell
Nellie Andreeva

NBC today added three more single-camera comedy pilots to its roster, including projects produced by Greg Daniels and the duo of Will Ferrell & Adam McKay. The Office boss Daniels and his Deedle Dee Prods have had a very active development season with a half-dozen projects landing at NBC and Fox. The one that got the nod at NBC today is an untitled half-hour written by The Office‘s Robert Padnick. The other two pilot slots went to Assistance, from writer Leslye Headland and Ferrell and McKay’s Gary Sanchez Prods, and Donor Party, from writer Alex Schemmer and producer Geyer Kosinski.

This marks Gary Sanchez’s first pilot order under the company’s deal with Universal TV where Deedle Dee is also based. All three pilots hail from NBC’s sister studio, with Lionsgate TV co-producing Donor Party. This is Lionsgate’s second consecutive comedy pilot at NBC, following last year’s Next Caller, which went to series but was ultimately shelved. The trio of pilots join recently picked up About A Boy, also single-camera, and multi-camera comedy Joe, Joe & Jane. Here are details about the newly picked up pilots: READ MORE »

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Will Ferrell & Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez, Lauryn Kahn Sell Marriage Comedy To NBC

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday October 4, 2012 @ 10:07am PDTTags: Adam McKay, Will Ferrell
Nellie Andreeva

Lauryn KahnEXCLUSIVE: Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez Prods. have sold a single-camera comedy to NBC to be written by rising young scribe Lauryn Kahn. Universal Television, where Gary Sanchez is under a deal, is producing. Titled I Guess I Do, the comedy centers around a sham green card marriage between a womanizing British celebrity trainer and a psychology grad student who is using her new husband as the subject for her dissertation on the modern male. Ferrell and McKay will executive produce the project, which has received a script commitment from the network.

I Guess I Do expands Kahn’s relationship with Gary Sanchez Prods. where she started out as McKay’s assistant. Noticing her comedic potential, he encouraged her to take improv classes at Upright Citizens Brigade. Kahn then began writing, directing and performing videos on Ferrell and McKay’s comedy Web site FunnyorDie.com. Last year, her debut feature script, comedy He’s F*cking Perfect, sparked a bidding frenzy, landing at Fox 2000 in a $1 million deal, with Gary Sanchez producing and Emma Stone circling the lead. Read More »

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Red Band Trailer: ‘Bachelorette’

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Thursday August 2, 2012 @ 11:07am PDTTags: Adam McKay, Bachelorette, Bridesmaids, Gary Sanchez Productions, Will Ferrell

The Bridesmaids rip-offs were inevitable. Will Ferrell and Adam McKay through their Gary Sanchez productions just released the red band trailer for Bachelorette starring Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan, Isla Fisher, and James Marsden. Written by ex-Harvey Weinstein assistant Leslye Headland (FX’s Terriers), the low-budget indie generated some buzz … Read More »

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HBO To Develop 1980s Wall Street Comedy Starring Rob Riggle With Adam McKay, Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg And Chris Henchy

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday May 14, 2012 @ 11:44am PDTTags: Adam McKay, Big Deals TV, HBO, Rob Riggle, Will Ferrell
Nellie Andreeva

Rob Riggle Wall Street HBOEXCLUSIVE: The Other Guys gang is back together, this time on HBO. The pay cable network is developing a comedy project for Rob Riggle to star and produce. The single-camera comedy, based on an … Read More »

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Justin Bieber Manager Joins Adam McKay Doc About Dropout Crisis In Public Schools

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday May 1, 2012 @ 5:54pm PDTTags: Adam McKay, Documentary

Comedy director Adam McKay’s very serious documentary about the dropout epidemic in American schools gained a key ally today. Scott “Scooter” Braun, who manages such musical acts as Justin Bieber and The Wanted and produced Bieber’s 2011 concert movie Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, has signed on to produce the film along with McKay. The project has been in development since McKay hooked up with documentary filmmaker Jason Pollock last fall. Read More »

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Adam McKay Signing On To Direct ‘Uptown Saturday Night’ Remake; Will Smith, Denzel Washington Eyed To Star

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday April 26, 2012 @ 3:32pm PDTTags: Adam McKay, Big Deals Film, Bill Cosby, Denzel Washington, Sidney Poitier, Will Smith
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Adam McKay is in negotiations to develop to direct Uptown Saturday Night, the Warner Bros remake that the studio hopes will star Will Smith and Denzel Washington. Smith and James Lassiter’s Overbrook Entertainment has been developing the project. Tim … Read More »

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‘Drunk History’ Web Series Heads To TV WIth Presentation Order By Comedy Central; Will Ferrell & Adam McKay To Produce

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday April 5, 2012 @ 8:48am PDTTags: Adam McKay, Big Deals TV, Will Ferrell
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Viral hit Drunk History may become a TV series. Comedy Central has given a pilot presentation order to Drunk History Across America, which will be produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy’s Gary Sanchez Prods. The trio will … Read More »

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Will Ferrell To Return For ‘Anchorman 2′

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Wednesday March 28, 2012 @ 5:45pm PDTTags: Adam McKay, Anchorman 2, Big Deals Film, Paramount, Paul Rudd, SAG AFTRA Merger, Steve Carell, Will Ferrell

Will Ferrell Anchorman SequelEXCLUSIVE… UPDATE: I’ve learned the sequel finally came together today. The comedy Anchorman 2 will be produced under mogul Judd Apatow’s banner with Will Ferrell’s and Adam MKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions. McKay will direct as well as write … Read More »

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Emma Stone In Talks To Star In Lauryn Kahn Fox 2000 Spec ‘He’s Fuckin’ Perfect’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday November 3, 2011 @ 10:01am PDTTags: Adam McKay, Elizabeth Gabler, Emma Stone, He's Fuckin' Perfect, Rodney Ferrell, Will Ferrell
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Emma Stone is in negotiations to star in He’s Fuckin’ Perfect, a comedy spec script that Fox 2000 bought two weeks ago. The studio and Stone’s reps are going through the deal making gyrations, but signs are positive. A … Read More »

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NBC Buys Relationship Comedy From Andrew Gurland And Gary Sanchez Prods.

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday October 21, 2011 @ 4:01pm PDTTags: Adam McKay, Andrew Gurland, Gary Sanchez Prods, Will Ferrell
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: NBC has bought an untitled comedy project created by filmmaker Andrew Gurland (The Last Exorcism, The Virginity Hit) and Kevin Napier, who wrote the Ben Stiller-directed 2009 Fox pilot The Station. Universal TV and Will Ferrell and Adam Mckay’s … Read More »

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Adam McKay Gets Serious, Signs On To Produce Docu About Education System

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday October 11, 2011 @ 8:03am PDTTags: Adam McKay, Funny or Die

EXCLUSIVE: Adam McKay, known for being the director of comedies like Anchorman and The Other Guys and the founder with Will Ferrell of the humor website Funny Or Die, has made a deal to produce a new feature documentary from … Read More »

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Warner Bros Buys ‘Swear To God’ By ‘Due Date’ Scribes For Will Ferrell And Adam McKay

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday June 29, 2011 @ 9:56am PDTTags: Adam McKay, Film Acquisition, Warner Bros, Will Ferrell
Mike Fleming

UPDATE: Reps for McKay say he’s not at this point attached to direct. Will follow and see what happens.
EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros has gotten back in business with Due Date scribes Alan Cohen and Alan Freedland, in a … Read More »

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Contrafilm Partners Beau Flynn And Tripp Vinson Splitting After Decade Together

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Friday June 17, 2011 @ 12:41pm PDTTags: Adam McKay, Anna Faris, Beau Flynn, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, ContraFilm, Dwayne Johnson, Gemma Arterton, Jeremy Renner, Josh Hutcherson, Michael Caine, New Line, Tripp Vinson, Vanessa Hudgens, Will Ferrell
Mike Fleming

UPDATE: Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson have formally announced their split and issued this statement: “We have nothing but love and respect for each other, and our decision to pursue our own separate paths after 10 amazing years … Read More »

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Warner Bros Acquires ‘Turkey Bowl’ For Will Ferrell-Mark Wahlberg Re-Team

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday May 17, 2011 @ 1:49pm PDTTags: Adam McKay, Alec Baldwin, Cannes, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Carlock, Scott Silveri, The Other Guys, Will Ferrell
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros has closed a deal for Turkey Bowl, a comedy that will re-team The Other Guys stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as guys from football-obsessed towns who lead rival teams in an annual tackle football game for … Read More »

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2929 Productions Funds ‘Tim And Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie’; Here’s Hoping The Movie’s Funnier Than The Press Release

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday March 14, 2011 @ 5:28pm PDTTags: Adam McKay, Gary Sanchez, Mark Cuban, Tim And Eric's Billion Dollar Movie, Todd Wagner, Will Ferrell
Mike Fleming

2929 Productions is financing Tim And Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, a comedy by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim that’s being produced by Funny Or Die creators at Gary Sanchez Productions. The film company sent out a press release with what I felt was a lame attempt to humorously paint itself … Read More »

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‘The Other Guys’ Beats ‘Inception’ For #1; ‘Step Up 3D’ Takes Big Leap Backwards

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Saturday August 7, 2010 @ 10:20pm PDTTags: Adam McKay, Box Office, Dinner for Schmucks, Inception Box Office, Mark Wahlberg, Salt Box Office, Sony Pictures, Step Up 3D, The Other Guys, The Other Guys Box Office, The Other Guys Panel, Will Ferrell

SATURDAY PM/SUNDAY AM UPDATE: It’s looking like a down box office weekend in the U.S. and Canada with total grosses of $133 million, which is -9% compared to last year’s. Here are Friday’s and Saturday’s numbers with weekend and cume grosses:

1. The … Read More »

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HBO Develops ‘Band’ Comedy With Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Lizzy Caplan

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday July 29, 2010 @ 4:50pm PDTTags: Adam McKay, Cable TV, Funny or Die, Gary Sanchez Productions, HBO, HBO Comedy Series, HBO Development, Lizzy Caplan, Party Down, TV, Will Ferrell
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: HBO is teaming with Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez and actress Lizzy Caplan to develop a comedy series project based on actress/writer Julie Klausner’s memoir I Don’t Care About Your Band. The project is eyed … Read More »

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Comic-Con #8: ‘The Other Guys’ Panel

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Saturday July 24, 2010 @ 2:29pm PDTTags: Adam McKay, Comic-Con, Comic-Con Convention, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Sony Pictures, The Other Guys, The Other Guys Panel, Will Ferrell

Luke Y Thompson is covering the Con for Deadline:

Sony Pictures’ THE OTHER GUYS is that cop comedy with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as an awkward buddy duo in the shadow of Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson. The panel features Will Ferrell, Eva Mendes, Adam McKay, and Mark Wahlberg. McKay introduces footage, saying it features some stuff you won’t see in the movie, and some you will. It’s an expansion of the existing trailer, with way more profanity. When Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L Jackson slam their car into a bus, for example, Sam says “Somebody call 9-1-Holy Shit!” Read More »

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