Tag Archives: Will Forte

By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Wait, MacGruber is joining the ensemble of “Rock of Ages?”
OK, it’s too much to hope that Will Forte’s clueless secret agent will be included in Adam Shankman’s adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, but THR does report that the “Saturday Night Live” comedian has been added to a cast that already includes Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin Malin Akerman, Mary J. Blige, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Julianne Hough, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Forte will play Mitch Miley, the head anchor of a network news show. As the trade reports, the character wasn’t in the stage musical. And with Forte in the part, it’s unlikely he’ll just be seen on a TV in the background.
More on “Rock of Ages” as it develops.
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HollywoodNews.com: Maybe Scarlett Johansson and ‘Saturday Night Live’ star Jason Sudeikis are keeping each other company now that they are single.
The two were reportedly recently spotted out with ‘SNL’ star Will Forte and another woman, states The Huffington Post (via Life & Style). Johansson and Sudeikis reportedly seemed to be flirting and getting cozy as they sat together.
Johansson recently split from husband Ryan Reynolds while Sudeikis and January Jones also recently broke up. Maybe this will turn into something a little more romantic.
Do you like these two together?
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Image by PR Photos

HollywoodNews.com: Amy Poehler has been announced as Saturday Night Live’s host for the September 25 season premiere on NBC, according to Entertainment Weekly. Poehler, in addition to being an SNL veteran, earned a fourth Emmy nom this year for “Parks and Recreation.”
The episode will also feature Katy Perry as its musical guest. After Will Forte’s departure, SNL will additionally be adding four new troupe members this season: Taran Killam (Mad TV and “How I Met Your Mother”), comedians Paul Brittain and Vanessa Bayer, and Jay Pharoah of BET’s “One Mic Stand.”
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HollywoodNews.com: Will Forte, who has been on “Saturday Night Live” for the last seven seasons, is leaving the show.
Forte was best known on the show for the character he took to the big screen: MacGruber, a knock-off of ‘80s TV action star “MacGyver.” “MacGruber,” an economically priced comedy, bombed at the May box office making $8.5 million. Other Forte “SNL” alter egos include Tim Calhoun, a soft-spoken political candidate and Jon Bovi, a member of the Bon Jovi “opposite tribute band.”
In an e-mail message through his spokesperson, Forte was extremely gracious to the show’s producer Lorne Michaels: “After eight great seasons, Will has made the decision to move on from ‘S.N.L.’ to pursue new opportunities. He is eternally grateful to Lorne and all of the incredible people he worked with over the years.”
Forte is an alum of the Groundlings sketch comedy school who amped his showbiz resume as a story editor on “Third Rock From the Sun” and “That ‘70s Show” before joining “SNL.”
The New York Times had the news.
Weeks before the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live,” it is typical for the show to make new cast hires and fires. However, for many of the show’s respected vets’ exits in the past, i.e. Molly Shannon and Chris Kattan, “SNL” often gives them a ‘send-off’ episode at either the mid season or finale point.
Often, those actors, like Forte, who thrive on “Saturday Night Live” are those who create staple characters, typically whose ‘catch-phrase’ alter egos can be branded on T-shirts and mugs, i.e. Dan Aykroyd’s Coneheads, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey’s “Wayne’s World” hosts.
Photo Credit: Relativity
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HollywoodNews.com: There’s usually a life expectancy for a “Saturday Night Live” alum at the box office, however, Adam Sandler is showing signs of beating that.
With his summer sleeper “Grown Ups,” about to chalk up $160 million, the comedian is seeing his best run at the B.O. in more than a decade.
The Los Angeles Times analyzes the comedy’s gross:
That’s four times its opening-weekend take, a very high multiple that indicates word of mouth on the film about high school friends who reunite in middle age has been unusually good.
Sandler hasn’t enjoyed a multiple that good on any of his trademark PG-13 comedies since 1998′s “The Waterboy” and 1999′s “Big Daddy,” both of which had box-office performances nearly identical to “Grown Ups.”

That’s amazing for a “SNL” alum who left the show 15 years ago in 1995. Typically due to waning tastes in comedy, and the emergence of fresh “SNL” talent on the screen, young male moviegoers turn their back on the titans. Recently, that hasn’t been the case as audiences turned their noses up to “MacGruber” starring current SNLers Will Forte and Kristen Wiig. The May comedy tanked making $8.5 million. A similar situation occurred with 2007′s “Hot Rod,” an Andy Samberg vehicle which only made $13.9 million at the August B.O.
It’s all a testament to Sandler’s strength as an actor, writer and producer. He knows the guffaws which moviegoers want. Like Stallone, who assembled, vintage action stars in this weekend’s No. 1 film, “The Expendables,” Sandler brought together his old “SNL” buddies Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and David Spade – making it more of a must-see film. Sony and Relativity Media, who financed “Grown Ups” spent from $70-$80 million on the film and it’s set to turn a decent profit.
Arguably, Chevy Chase’s hot streak at the B.O. lasted for 13 years after he departed the hit NBC sketch show in 1976. Chase hit his B.O. high with 1989’s “Christmas Vacation” ($71.3 million) before his grosses slid him into character actor work. Bill Murray also enjoyed a 13-year ride as a B.O. star after leaving “SNL” in 1980. 1993’s “Groundhog Day” ($70.9 million) was his last star comedy vehicle that did well before they crashed and he morphed into a highly coveted absurdist arthouse star which nabbed him an Oscar nom for 2003’s “Lost in [...]

By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: It’s appropriate that, as details of a “Kick-Ass” sequel start to hit the wires, we turn our attention to the festival which helped launch Matthew Vaughn’s superhero comedy last spring: South By Southwest (SXSW).
Festival organizers announced today that the 2011 SXSW has begun accepting submissions and registrations for next year’s event. Filmmakers are invited to submit their new features, short films and title sequences to the annual event. The 2011 SXSW Film Conference and Festival will take place March 11-19, in Austin, Texas.
“Across the board, the films screened at SXSW 2010 were so exciting, innovative, and entertaining, that we can’t wait to see what 2011 will bring,” said Janet Pierson, SXSW Film Conference and Festival Producer. “Look for our complete lineup and conference schedule in early February 2011.”
Submissions may only be entered via the official SXSW website, at http://sxsw.com/film. Complete rules and regulations, as well as additional information on the submission process, can be found in the Submission FAQ, at http://sxsw.com/film/screenings/submission_faq.
Submission deadlines and fees are as follows:
Early Submission Period: Monday, August 2 – Thursday, November 4, 2010
Features – $40
Shorts – $25
Title Sequence Design – $10
Texas High School – $10
Late Submission Period: Friday, November 5 – Thurs, December 2, 2010
Features – $60
Shorts – $40
Title Sequence Design – $10
Texas High School – $10
Last Minute Deadline Period: Friday, December 3 – Thursday, December 9, 2010
Features – $100
Shorts – $50
Title Sequence Design – $15
Texas High School – $10
Alongside our Film Festival, the SXSW Film Conference features over 80 informative and entertaining panels, workshops, mini-meetings and mentor sessions. The program presents topics that cover the film spectrum, with an emphasis on the intersection of the Film and Interactive worlds. 2010 participants include creative leaders and industry experts, as well as talent like Michel Gondry, David Gordon Green, Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Val Kilmer, Jeffrey Tambor, Robert Rodriguez and Ruben Fleischer.
Once again, the community can help shape the conference programming, by voting and commenting on panels they’d like to see via the PanelPicker™ interface. Voting begins Monday, August 9, and will run through Friday, August 27. To find out more about the SXSW PanelPicker, visit http://panelpicker.sxsw.com.
For more information about next year’s film portion, visit http://www.sxsw.com/film.
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By Kim Palacios
HollywoodNews.com: Though SNL’s popularity has seen a revival in recent years, some fans fear the current cast is getting the shaft. Despite a steady flow of nominations for cast members in the past three years, the show’s actors have fallen short on wins. Fans are rooting for Kristen Wiig, viewed by some as the talent leader of the current cast, despite her short tenure. It would be a validating symbol that the show has entered another golden age.
Though only in her fifth season on the show, Kristen Wiig has become an SNL powerhouse, playing hit original characters such as Gilly and Target Lady, and doing expert impersonations of financial maven Suze Orman and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Other memorable characters include compulsive liar Penelope and lesbian reporter Michelle Dison; Wiig also supports Will Forte in this summer’s film rendition of SNL-spinoff “McGruber”.
In 2009, SNL guest characters Tina Fey and Justin Timberlake secured the only wins for the series, both as guest actors—Fey for her portrayal of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Timberlake for his performance as various characters. Wiig (along with Amy Pohler) was nominated as Best Supporting Actress in the same year. Yet, just as in 2008, regular cast nominations failed to yield wins.
2008 marked the first year since 2001 that any actor received an Emmy nod for a performance in the series. Even in that year, Will Ferrell was nominated for Outstanding Individual Performance in an episode hosted by Alec Baldwin, but he did not win. Indeed, all nominations for the series thinned out in the most recent ten years, with most nods (and few wins) appearing in categories such as make-up artistry, costume design, or direction.
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hollywoodnews.com: MacGruber’s Kristen Wiig said that it was “pretty bad” shooting a sex scene with her MacGruber costar Will Forte — because he’s “kind of like my brother.”
“Have you ever had anyone sweat on you? Like really drip sweat on you? It’s not that fun,” she said.
“But it’s Will, and as creepy as it sounds, he’s kind of like my brother. So it made it not as bad, but it was a pretty sweaty day. It was pretty bad.”
“We were on satin sheets that really don’t absorb anything, they kind of just turn to paper. And we were laughing and we didn’t know what we were doing!”

To read more go to showbizspy.com

BY Kevin Crust
HollywoodNews.com: The summer fare keeps coming with nary an original idea in sight. This week’s offerings boast a distinct “Saturday Night Live” vibe, featuring a showdown between prominent alums and current cast members.
SHREK FOREVER AFTER
“Shrek the Third” disappointed animation fans so expectations are on hold for what is promised as the “final” installment, released in the now de rigueur three dimensions. The stars, including Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas, are back as the big green guy gets into trouble after entering into an ill-advised contract with the nefarious Rumplestiltskin.  Director Mike Mitchell (“Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo,” “Sky High”) takes the helm. Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke wrote the script.
The reviews are split fairly evenly between critics who believe there is still a bit of magic in Far, Far Away Land and those who are ready to stick a fork in it. Those that do find some remaining charm — including Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times, Stephen Holden of the New York Times and Claudia Puig of USA Today — attribute it to the continuing antics of the series’ enduring characters and performers. John Anderson of Variety, on the other hand, notes the unfortunate borrowing of plot from “It’s a Wonderful Life” and labels the “dead-eyed” “Shrek” a franchise that time has passed by — visually, musically, comedically, and, especially, technologically. The Wall Street Journal’s Joe Morgenstern is dazzled by one enchanting set piece, but otherwise grouses that “Shrek” tries both audience’s patience and love.
Even with inflation and the higher ducat price for 3D, the fourth installment of the ogre opera will likely fall short of the second and third “Shrek” films that earned $108M and $123M, respectively, in 2004 and 2007. Nevertheless, “Forever’s” expected $90-105M haul will easily earn the week’s top spot over such holdovers as “Iron Man 2″ and “Robin Hood.” With the release slate cleared of family films for four weeks until “Toy Story 3″ arrives, DreamWorks is aiming to eclipse “Shrek the Third’s” tally of $323M.

“SHREK FOREVER AFTER” TRAILER
MACGRUBER
Will Forte‘s ”MacGyver” parody makes the leap from SNL skit to big screen movie as the resourceful former Special Forces operative is called upon to save Washington, D.C. from nuclear annihilation. Kristen Wiig, Val Kilmer and Ryan Phillippe co-star. Forte teamed with SNL writers John Solomon and Jorma Taccone on the script. Taccone also direted.
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone writes [...]

By Sean O’Connell
MacGruber (*1/2 out of 4)
If Pixar and its animated output is Hollywood’s safest bet, then full-length features derived from brief “Saturday Night Live” skits have to be the industry’s riskiest gamble. It’s possible you’ll end up with a “Blues Brothers” or a “Wayne’s World,” comedies that extend their single-joke premise and expand the universe for their potentially amusing characters. But more often than not, you’re destined for an unimaginative dud like “The Ladies Man,” “It’s Pat,” “A Night at the Roxbury,” “Superstar” and, now, “MacGruber.” Why do studios continue to green light such projects? Russian roulette players have better survival rates.
The running gag in a “MacGruber” sketch is that the incompetent hero, played by Will Forte as a poor-man’s version of Richard Dean Anderson’s television adventurer MacGuyver, usually explodes right before he does something lewd or ridiculous. In a recent episode, a bomb MacGruber meant to disarm goes off right before he French kisses his grandmother (Betty White).
Without network censors breathing down their necks, Forte and his team (which includes writer-director Jorma Taccone and co-writer John Solomon) are able to show you how far they’re willing to go in a “MacGruber” sketch. It ain’t pretty. What starts as a smart send-up of 1980s action thrillers — with the deepest homage paid to Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo series — rapidly devolves into the usual, disgusting piss and shit jokes writers use as lame crutches. If MacGruber has his back against the wall and he feels he has exhausted all options, he’ll graciously offer to give another man a blowjob. In fact, he won’t take no for an answer. And when MacGruber needs to distract heavily armed terrorists, he strips naked and sticks a stalk of celery up his ass. Do these jokes make you laugh? You’re in luck. They’ll be repeated multiple times throughout this blessedly short “comedy.”
There’s not much to say about the acting in “MacGruber.” Forte’s his earnest, uninformed self, though he does affect an aggressive side when he stands off against Ryan Phillippe, cast as an all-American soldier and the straight man to Forte’s renegade. Phillippe’s presence kind of strips the usually funny Kristen Wiig of any motivation. She’s supposed to be MacGruber’s right-hand woman, but then she morphs into his love interest. She looks like she wishes she had funnier lines. So does Val Kilmer, who has a few inconsequential scenes as MacGruber’s arch nemesis, Dieter [...]