Paul Walter Hauser will star as Chris Farley in a biopic based on Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby’s The Chris Farley Show, Deadline reports.
New Line has acquired the film, which will tell the story of the legendary Saturday Night Live comedian who died of a drug overdose in 1997 at the age of 33.
The Chris Farley Show, co-written by his brother, was published by Viking in 2008. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus wrote of the book, “Essential for Farley and SNL fans, and a sterling example of oral biography—well-structured, consistently engaging and simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking.”
Farley became a breakout star on Saturday Night Live shortly after he joined the cast in 1990. He was known for his physical comedy and for playing larger-than-life characters, including Matt Foley, a bombastic and misguided motivational speaker, and Todd O'Connor, a Chicago Bears superfan with heart issues. He left the show in 1995 and went on to star in films including Tommy Boy and Beverly Hills Ninja.
New Line’s adaptation of the book will star Hauser (Richard Jewell, Black Bird) as Farley and will be directed by Josh Gad, the actor known for his roles in Broadway shows including The Book of Mormon and Gutenberg! The Musical!
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, who have collaborated on films including 500 Days of Summer, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Disaster Artist, will write the screenplay, with SNL creator Lorne Michaels producing.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
