In America, we love a good story about a manchild who finally matures after overcoming a series of absurd comical obstacles. The Forty-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and The Hangover all fall into this category and each scored big at the box office. So it's little wonder DreamWorks is seeking to get into the manchild game with Starbuck, a French-Canadian comedy that won acclaim on the festival circuit last year, but never secured U.S. distribution.
Variety reports DreamWorks has purchased the right to remake the funny French-language feature, which centers on David "Starbuck" Wozniak, a 42-year-old man who discovers the hundreds of sperm donations he's made over the years have resulted in 142 of his 533 progeny requesting to meet him. As you might imagine, David is a screw-up; he owes money to thugs and ironically has just gotten his girlfriend pregnant, spurring her fears that he's too immature to be a good father. "What would a normal person do in this situation?" David asks in the trailer below, to which he's rightly chastised, "A normal person wouldn't be in this situation."
It's a great premise, and from the looks of the trailer a wacky yet winsome comedy. But not only is this a wise acquisition for DreamWorks, it's also a promising opportunity for Starbuck co-writer/director Ken Scott, as the studio has brought him on board to helm and pen the English-language remake. The coming year will be a whirlwind for the fast-rising filmmaker, as DreamWorks is fast-tracking production. Casting has already begun with aims of shooting by year's end. So, Starbuck could hit theaters in 2013 within the summer sweet spot that has proven profitable for those manchild movies that have come before.
