It appears there has finally been more forward progress behind the scenes of This is Where I Leave You, the film adaptation of Jonathan Tropper’s celebrated adult-coming-of-age novel which has been put through Hollywood’s wringer for quite a while now. Back in November, Shawn Levy took over as director, but little has been heard about it since.
The Hollywood Reporter is now reporting Jason Bateman has returned to the project, after having his name attached to it early last year. Bateman is a welcome presence in almost any film, and will probably do a great job nailing the character’s tone of the novel. But there’s more!
On Monday, Levy and Bateman will meet with a group of well-known actresses, some of whom will be reading for the lead female role of Penny. Those actresses include Zoe Saldana (The Words), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (A Good Day to Die Hard), Isla Fisher (Bachelorette), Ari Graynor (For a Good Time Call…), and Kathryn Hahn (Afternoon Delight). This is an interesting bunch, and I think we can determine who probably isn't reading for the love interest, since Winstead wasn’t even born yet when Jason Bateman was on Silver Spoons. Amy Adams’ name is floating around as well, but she’s not being asked to read for the part.
Last May, when Bateman’s name was first connected to the film, it was being directed by Adam Shankman, who has now stepped into a producer role, and the co-stars in talks to join him were Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Jason Sudeikis, Malin Akerman, and Goldie Hawn. Nobody ever made anything official, but it’s possible a few of these names will resurface as the casting process continues.
This is Where I Leave You, from a script written by the author Tropper himself, follows a man whose dysfunctional family gathers for a rare get-together after the death of his father, whose dying wish was for the family to spend the week following his death under one roof. It sounds like the most comfortable, non-intrusive situation imaginable, right?
