Chris Farley biopic in the works with Paul Walter Hauser set to star

Josh Gad will make his directorial debut with the feature.

Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser, though neither thrice divorced or residing in a van down the river, is attached to star as legendary comedian Chris Farley in an upcoming film.

A biopic about the Saturday Night Live staple is in the works with actor Josh Gad set to direct, making his directorial debut. SNL architect Lorne Michaels will produce the title, an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts, written by Farley's brothers Tom Farley and Tanner Colby.

Written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the project is currently being shopped around and is said to have the Farley family's blessing.

Farley rose to fame as a key player on SNL, appearing for five seasons alongside comedians like Adam Sandler and David Spade between 1990 and 1995. Farley played a string of memorable characters spanning from the lunch lady in Sandler's "Lunch Lady Land" to motivational speaker (and van dweller) Matt Foley. On the big screen, he headlined comedies Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, and Beverly Hills Ninja, among other titles.

The beloved comedian struggled with drug addiction and died in December 1997 from an overdose at the age of 33.

The 37-year-old Hauser's credits include films I, Tonya and Richard Jewell and series The Afterparty and miniseries Black Bird, which earned him an Emmy and Golden Globe last year. He went viral for munching on some mangos before taking the Emmy stage to deliver his speech, which was delivered in rap form.

Deadline first reported news of the biopic.

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