The mega success of The Hangover guarantees three things; we’re going to see a sequel (check), all of the principles are going to pick up, at minimum, a project or two (also check), and we’ll be seeing a lot of comedies centered on groups of men/women going places (definitely check).
Cedar Rapids is one of those post-Hangover comedies, built around Ed Helms, and has now added the wonderful John C. Reily to the cast. The film is about an insurance salesman (Helms) who must unexpectedly represent his firm at a large insurance convention. Helms, being from a small town, is overwhelmed with the experience and has the added pressure of making sure his coworkers stay in a job. So, The Hangoffice.
Reilly will be playing a teacher, pardon, insurance agent ready to escape his family and party at the convention. The film will be directed by Migeul Arteta who directed Youth In Revolt, as well as a bunch of TV (including an episode of The Office).
With a strong enough cast of comedians, anything that gets put together is likely to be entertaining- it’s what keeps these cynical cash grabbing attempts at success replication from being completely soul-crushing. That said, it’s a shame that we’re just going to get a growing list of “The Hangover with women. The Hangover meets The Office.” movies. Wouldn’t it be nice if all of the clout and cash that a success like The Hangover generates was funneled towards something new? The Hangover was fun, but it still has nothing on a film like Observe And Report, a definite comedy, but one that is just a little bit closer to the edge. Nearly all of these comedians have honest, dangerous, or weird sides that could inspire some classics, if a few of them can break through.
When Cedar Rapids was first announced, Variety mentioned that Helms is working with Warner Brothers on a comedy involving the Civil War… let’s hear something more about that.
Source | Variety, The Hollywood Reporter