Writer/director Adam McKay’s instincts for political satire have always been killer. Thanks to movies like The Big Short, Vice and Don’t Look Up, laughs are often paired with sharp barbs about actual social issues that have plagued the world at large. While it’s not something we should expect to see on the 2023 new movie releases schedule, McKay’s latest movie is re-teaming him with Amy Adams, as well as bringing Robert Pattinson and more into a story that is absolutely a killer.
Deadline has reported that the Academy Award winner has his next film planned, and it’s titled Average Height, Average Build. The premise so far is simple, but absolutely in Adam McKay’s wheelhouse. In this movie, Robert Pattinson will be playing a serial killer who has made friends with a lobbyist, played by Amy Adams. His purpose: to get the laws surrounding murder changed so he can do his job a lot easier.
If you thought that was amazing, just wait until you see who else is on deck, with this project aiming to get into production either in late 2023/early 2024. Also slated for the cast of Average Height, Average Build are fellow superstars Robert Downey Jr., Forest Whitaker, and Danielle Deadwyler.
While Whitaker and Deadwyler’s roles aren’t specified just yet, Downey is set to play a retired detective who’s obsessed with catching Robert Pattinson’s serial murderer. Much like the forces assembled for his Don’t Look Up cast, Adam McKay has assembled a lineup of prime talent that can deliver his vision with cutthroat precision.
If this isn’t an example of the right concept in the right hands with the right cast, I don’t know what is. Reuniting McKay with his Vice lead Amy Adams is already the first step into potential greatness. But with Pattinson and Downey set to play adversaries in the realm of law and order, Average Height, Average Build has crossed into a sort of rarified air of potential.
Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Pattinson have been known to go wild from time to time in their careers. Specifically, the two performances that come to mind in such an ecosystem are Good Time, which is one of Robert Pattinson's best movies, as well as Downey's semi-controversial Tropic Thunder gig. A Downey/Pattinson showdown of crazy could be something beautiful, especially when presented against such a politically charged backdrop.
If that promise is realized, and with the striking roster that's been put together to do so, this could be another awards darling for McKay to put on his resume. Average Height, Average Build is currently shopping around for a studio home, after which it’ll presumably get into production with the cast specified above. Presumably we might be able to see this movie debut at some point in 2024 if the intended plan holds up.
If you still haven’t seen Adam McKay’s incendiary satire Don’t Look Up, those with a Netflix subscription don’t have to wait to catch up. Meanwhile, you can next see Robert Pattinson in Mickey 17, which has wrapped production for its March 9, 2024 release date.
