Diablo Cody’s Directorial Debut to Star Russell Brand, Conveniently Bringing Together Two Stars You Probably Hate
It's funny what causes stars to face a public backlash. Sometimes it's because of overnight success -- like Diablo Cody, whose first produced screenplay, "Juno," won her an Oscar, even though a lot of people (us included) thought it overdid the oh-so-hip dialogue and ironic pop-culture referencing. For others, like Russell Brand, it's almost the opposite: He's big in Britain, but American audiences have just never really rallied around him, failing to support "Arthur" or "Get Him to the Greek." (Apparently, we're cool with him if he plays an animated rabbit who poops jelly beans, though.) So it's sorta cosmically perfect that they're teaming up for Cody's directorial debut: This way, a lot of moviegoers can skip just one movie rather than two.
That movie doesn't have a title yet, but according to Deadline it'll star Brand and Julianne Hough. And while it's ostensibly a comedy, Deadline's plot description wouldn't make you think that:
Hough plays a sheltered young woman who loses her faith after a plane crash and revels in the decadence of Las Vegas. There, she meets an unlikely companion who helps her find herself.
Brand and Hough's involvement was first hinted at in early August, back when the film was called "Lamb of God," but now it's an official thing. Several years ago, this would have been a much bigger deal. Cody was riding high thanks to "Juno," and Brand was seen as an up-and-comer after smaller roles in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Bedtime Stories." Their status has both taken a hit of late, which means that, if anything, Hough is probably seen as the hottest of the three, especially if the new "Footloose" does well. The more we see that trailer, the more we think it will.
Julianne Hough, Russell Brand Star In Diablo Cody Directing Debut [Deadline]
