If you were to approach random people on the street and ask them to name their favorite ‘90s Saturday Night Live cast members, it’s all but guaranteed that most of those responses would include Chris Farley. The man who gave the world some of the most hilarious quotes, on SNL and in his various movies, will forever be remembered as one of the funniest comedians ever to walk the planet, yet also as one of the most tragic stories in show business. At some point soon, we’ll get to see the late funny man’s life and career unfold in a new biopic.
The Chris Farley Show, not to be confused with the SNL icon’s fake talk show where he awkwardly interviewed guests, is an upcoming book-to-screen adaptation that will dive into what made the comedian tick and how he could lighten a room without uttering a single word. If this is the first you’re hearing of it, don’t worry, because we have a ton of details about the biopic, including its star, director, and who from SNL is involved.
What Is The Chris Farley Show Release Date?
As much as we would all love to see The Chris Farley Show appear on the 2024 movie schedule, the truth is, New Line Cinema has yet to announce a release date for the upcoming biopic. Considering production hasn’t started yet, there’s a good chance we won’t see this highly-anticipated drama be released until some point later in the 2025 movie calendar.
We should know more about the release date for The Chris Farley Show in the coming months, but until then, check out some other things we know about the long-awaited movie.
Paul Walter Hauser Will Lead The Chris Farley Show Cast
Much like Jason Reitman’s SNL 1975 movie, it’s safe to assume that The Chris Farley Show will feature portrayals of some of the great Saturday Night Live cast members from Farley’s tenure on the show. However, at this time, only Paul Walter Hauser has been revealed to be a member of the cast. Back in April 2024, Variety reported that Hauser, who has recently appeared in Inside Out 2 and will have a leading role in the Naked Gun reboot, had landed the part of the legendary comedian.
Shortly after getting the role of the Tommy Boy and Black Sheep star, Hauser commented on a post made by the Screen Off Script Instagram account where he briefly shed some light on the film, writing:
This is a great story. Not a tale from the crypt. Ready to honor Christopher.
The actor, who is also set to play a mystery character in the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, didn’t provide too many details, but his comments about honoring Farley have us optimistic that this film won’t just focus on the downfall of the late comedian but also the personality and warmth that made him so beloved in the first place.
The Upcoming Biopic Will Tell The Story Of The Late Comedian’s Life And Career
Though no details about the specifics of the plot have been announced at this time, Deadline reported in April 2024 that The Chris Farley Show will tell the story of the late comedian’s life and career. This means we’ll most likely be seeing Hauser’s portrayal of Farley re-create some of the most unforgettable moments after joining the SNL cast at a young age, as well as hilarious scenes like the ones we saw in Tommy Boy, Billy Madison, Beverly Hills Ninja, and others throughout the early-to-mid-1990s.
How the biopic will handle Farley’s well-documented struggles with drugs and alcohol, as well as the events that led to his untimely passing at the age of 33 in December 1997, has not yet been disclosed.
According to Deadline’s sources quoted in the article mentioned above, the family has reportedly given their blessing to the movie, which should make for an even better and more authentic experience.
The Chris Farley Show Is Based On The 2009 Biography Of The Same Name
The upcoming biographical drama is based on The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts, an oral history written by the comedian’s brother, Tom Farley Jr. along with Tanner Colby. According to the book’s publisher, Penguin Randomhouse, it first hit bookshelves back in 2009 and used interviews with Farley’s friends, family, and former colleagues to remember his life and work.
The book, which is available at multiple retailers both online and brick-and-mortar, is filled with stories about not only his famous characters and unforgettable SNL catchphrases, but also the man behind the legend.
Josh Gad Will Direct The Chris Farley Show
Josh Gad is known for portraying Olaf in the various Frozen movies and spinoff specials as well as Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway smash hit The Book of Mormon, and now the multi-talented star will adding director to his resume. In April 2024, Deadline reported that Gad would be sitting in the director’s chair for The Chris Farley Show.
While Gad has no experience directing a major motion picture, the actor is well-versed in the realm of comedy, having appeared on several TV shows like Avenue 5, New Girl, and The Comedians, which featured one-time SNL cast member, Billy Crystal.
In addition to having Gad come on as its director, the movie is being adapted by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the writing team behind movies like 500 Days of Summer, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Disaster Artist, the latter of which earned the pair an Oscar nomination for their adaption of the book about the making of The Room, one of the most notoriously bad movies ever made.
Lorne Michaels Is Producing The Upcoming Biopic
In the same Deadline article mentioned above, it was announced that Lorne Michaels, the man who found Chris Farley and helped turn him into a superstar, will be one of the producers behind the movie, doing so through his Broadway Video company. Michaels, who wanted to protect Farley and Adam Sandler when they were fired from Saturday Night Live nearly 30 years ago, often serves as a producer on SNL film projects and various documentaries, so it doesn't seem out of the ordinary to have him involved here.
In fact, having Michaels on board could very well add more authority and realism to the picture, especially whenever it’s dealing with anything that happened at Studio 8H during the late comedian’s tenure.
We should know a whole lot more about The Chris Farley Show in the near future. Until then, we still have the 50th season of Saturday Night Live to look forward to when it makes its way to the 2024 TV schedule.
