So here’s the thing… Reporting about Tim & Eric news in any kind of speculative fashion is a bit counter-productive, as literally everything they do and say is engineered to fuck with people in a believable, unspectacular fashion. Read any interview they’ve ever done (including mine) and you’ll see that almost every answer they give is delivered with the perfect tone and cadence to be real, but never really is. They’re even good at sounding like they’re suddenly becoming serious, and then when you look back at their “real” answer to your question, you realize they didn’t actually say anything. You then realize how hollow most entertainment interviews are, as you realize they just said a bunch of words that you expected and you swallowed that as the genuine response. They’re truly performance artists in that sense.
This is unlike their shows, which are exercises in the aggressively awkward, disturbing, or incomprehensible, so any discussion or rumors of upcoming projects or intentions is usually worthless. Therefore take it with a grain of salt that their oft-mentioned Billion Dollar Movie has sparked some new rumors.
/Film, who seem to be reporting a lot of rumors from The Tracking Board lately, have gotten word that the duo will follow up their Sundance appearance (they had a short called The Terrys playing) with the feature-length film they’ve spoken about for years. There is a rumored cast that includes Zach Galafianakis, Will Ferrell, Bob Odenkirk, Harrison Ford, Will Forte, and John C. Reilly as a character called Taquito.
First of all, I can absolutely guarantee that were Tim & Eric to ever make a movie, John C. Reilly, Bob Odenkirk and Zach Galafianakis will be in it. That’s 100% absolutely certain, unless one of them croaks before it happens. Will Ferrell would also be a very likely collaborator, so that he would produce along with Adam McKay’s production company is whatever. Will Forte’s involvement? Also pretty likely. Harrison Ford however, is precisely the kind of actor they would namedrop in one of their many fake descriptions of “the deal they have set up with X studio.” But he’s old and seems pretty out of it, so I suppose it could happen.
Just enough authentic detail to seem plausible? Check. One key element that seems bizarre and outlandish? Check. Yeah, I wouldn’t hold my breath on this rumor. That said, it seems inevitable that the pair will make a feature-length film at some point, so this could be it. Their Adult Swim show is over, and with the short in Sundance getting some attention maybe now is the time. I’ll certainly watch it if they do- I’m an unapologetic fan of the pair, and fortuitously enough pulled out their 4th season DVD last night to watch with some visiting friends*. While their shows have always stuck with the 15-minute format, I can marathon episodes for a while whereas Aqua Teen Hunger Force was never good for watching more than two or three episodes at a time. Their Chrimbus special is kind of lackluster, but it was patterned off of a stage show and was too focused on a specific gag that served as a theme for the longer-form version of the show. I’m still confident that they could put together a feature film that I would watch and enjoy though, even if it’s engaging the part of my brain that digs shit like Enter the Void and Koyaanisqatsi more than the part that likes raunchy comedies or whatever. How would the rest of the world take to a Tim & Eric movie? Well the brand isn’t going to get them far in the mainstream marketplace, but I guess it ultimately depends on just what they’re trying to pull off that will decide if this is anything but a limited, arthouse-release film.
We’ll see. I don’t believe any of it yet, but I’ve sure got my fingers crossed.
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*The episode “Universe” which has T&E’s space program, All The Food Is Poison, Zillions, AND Discount Prices vs. Premium Prices might be the best of the whole series.