Chris Farley Biopic to Star Blackbird’s Paul Walter Hauser; Josh Gad to Direct

Chris Farley is coming back to the big screen via a biopic about the late comedian’s life and career, our sister site Deadline reports.

Paul Walter Hauser, whose work on Apple TV+’s Blackbird earned him a Primetime Emmy Award, is set to play Farley in the movie, which is being directed by Josh Gad. Lorne Michaels, credited for discovering Farley and giving him his big break on Saturday Night Live, will produce through Broadway Video.

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Written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the yet-untitled movie is reportedly based on The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts, a 2009 biography penned by Tanner Colby and Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr.

Farley died on Dec. 18, 1997 of a drug overdose in his Chicago apartment. His official cause of death was credited to a lethal combination of cocaine and morphine. He was just 33 years old.

Hauser has appeared in dozens of films, including I, Tonya; Richard Jewell; and Cruella. In addition to Blackbird, his small-screen credits have included memorable roles on Kingdom, Cobra Kai, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Reno 911!, among many others. This will mark Gad’s first time directing a feature film.

Your thoughts on Hauser taking on the iconic role of the late Farley? Drop ’em in a comment below.

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