David Farnor | On 25, Jan 2018

A Futile and Stupid Gesture hits Netflix tomorrow, and several new clips have landed online to give us a taste.

The movie tells the story of Doug Kenney and Henry Beard, the founders of National Lampoon, with Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth) as Kenney and Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina) as Beard, with Martin Mull (Arrested Development) joining the cast as an older Doug Kenney.

It’s an impressive cast, including Joel McHale (Community) as Chevy Chase, Matt Lucas (Little Britain) as Tony Hendra, Seth Green (Austin Powers) as Christopher Guest, Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black) as Anne Beatts, John Gemberling (Broad City) as John Belushi, Rick Glassman (Undateable) as Harold Ramis, and Jon Daly (Zoolander 2) as Bill Murray.

The biopic premieres on Netflix worldwide on Friday 26th January. See the whole ensemble in action below:

 

 

 

Where can I buy or rent A Futile and Stupid Gesture online in the UK?

A Futile and Stupid Gesture: First look at Netflix’s National Lampoon flick

21st December 2017

Netflix has released the first look at its National Lampoon flick, A Futile and Stupid Gesture.

The movie tells the story of Doug Kenney and Henry Beard, the founders of National Lampoon, with Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth) as Kenney and Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina) as Beard, with Martin Mull (Arrested Development) joining the cast as an older Doug Kenney.

“These actors don’t look exactly like the real people,” quips the older Kenney in the trailer, “but come on? Do you think I looked like Will Forte when I was 27? Do you think Will Forte is 27?”

The self-aware, highly silly trailer sets the tone for the project, as well as giving us our first look at an unrecognisable Gleeson and Forte. The cast also includes Joel McHale (Community) as Chevy Chase, Matt Lucas (Little Britain) as Tony Hendra, Seth Green (Austin Powers) as Christopher Guest, Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black) as Anne Beatts, John Gemberling (Broad City) as John Belushi, Rick Glassman (Undateable) as Harold Ramis, and Jon Daly (Zoolander 2) as Bill Murray.

Kenney is at the centre of it all, and of the 70’s comedy counter-culture which gave birth to Saturday Night Live and a whole generation’s way of looking at the world, from Caddyshack to Animal House.

The biopic premieres on Netflix worldwide on Friday 26th January. Here’s a trailer:

 

Netflix confirms full cast for A Futile & Stupid Gesture

19th April 2016

Netflix has confirmed the full cast line-up for A Futile & Stupid Gesture, its original film about Doug Kenney and Henry Beard, the founders of National Lampoon.

The film stars Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth) as Kenney and Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina) as Beard, with Martin Mull (Arrested Development) joining the cast as an older Doug Kenney.

The official ensemble also includes Joel McHale (Community) as Chevy Chase; Matt Lucas (Little Britain) as Tony Hendra; Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple) as Michael O’Donoghue; Seth Green (Austin Powers) as Christopher Guest; Jackie Tohn (House of Lies) as Gilda Radner; Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black) as Anne Beatts; Emmy Rossum (Shameless) as Kathryn Walker; Elvy Yost (The Catch) as Mary Marshmallow; Matt Walsh (Veep) as Matty Simmons; John Gemberling (Broad City) as John Belushi; Rick Glassman (Undateable) as Harold Ramis; Camille Guaty (Scorpion) as Alex Garcia-Mata and Jon Daly (Zoolander 2) as Bill Murray.

The movie will be released in 2017.

Emmy Rossum joins Netflix National Lampoon biopic

Originally published: 14th April 2016

Emmy Rossum is the latest actor to join Netflix’s National Lampoon biopic.

The film, which charts the life (and tragic, mysterious death) of Lampoon’s co-founder, Douglas Kenney, stars Will Forte as Kenney, with Domhnall Gleeson as friend and co-founder Henry Beard. Joel McHale will play Chevy Chase, with Broad City’s John Gemberling playing John Belushi.

Rossum has now signed up to play Kathryn Walker, Kenney’s close friend, who couldn’t stop his destructive slide, reports Variety.

Joel McHale to play Chevy Chase in Netflix’s National Lampoon biopic

Originally published: 6th April 2016

Joel McHale is in “final negotiations” to play Chevy Chase in Netflix’s National Lampoon biopic.

Called A Futile and Stupid Gesture, the movie will tell the tragic story of Doug Kenney, who died at the age of 33. Kenney was the editor of the Harvard Lampoon when he met his fellow co-founders, Henry Beard and Robert Hoffman, whose National Lampoon evolved from a humourous magazine into a radio show and, eventually, a movie franchise that introduced the world to such comedy talents as Jim Belushi and John Hughes. Later, Kenney fell to his death from a cliff in Hawaii in mysterious circumstances,

The film is based on a 2006 book by Josh Karp and is written by Michael Colton and John Aboud. Peter Principato and Jonathan Stern are producing, with Ed Helms on board as exec producer, alongside Colton and Aboud. (They are joined by Ben Ormand, Ted Hamm and Sean McKittrick.)

Will Forte is already attached to portray Kenney, with Domnhall Gleeson playing Beard. Now, THR reports that McHale is set to play Chase, who starred in Caddyshack, the 1980 comedy hit co-written by Kenney.

The actor was with Kenney in Hawaii before his death, but was about to fly back to Los Angeles when he heard his friend was missing, McHale would bring with him first-hand knowledge of Chase, after co-starring with him in five of Community’s six seasons.

Production is scheduled to start this month on the project, with a budget of between $15 million and $20 million. David Wain, creator of Wet Hot American Summer, will direct.

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