After playing second banana on R-rated comedies like Hall Pass and Horrible Bosses, Saturday Night Live alum Jason Sudeikis proved his worth as a leading man in his own R-rated laffer, We're The Millers, which took the concept of a family road trip comedy and made it wild with strip teases, loads of drugs, and some male frontal nudity. Hot off the success of that $269 million hit, Sudeikis is saddling up for another crude comedy, and this one will be a raunchy rom-com.
Variety reports out of Cannes that Sleeping With Other People has gained financing through Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, which will producing the pic alongside Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez banner. This will be the first film made under their new sister company, the Jessica Elbaum-led Gloria Sanchez Productions.
Jason Sudeikis is confirmed to co-star in Sleeping With Other People with Community's Alison Brie as a pair of unlikely lovers. The project will be written and directed by Leslye Headland, will also boast a supporting cast that includes Parks and Recreation's Adam Scott, The Way Way Back's Amanda Peet, The League's Jason Mantzoukas and Orange Is The New Black's Natasha Lyonne.
Headland's Sleeping With Other People sounds like When Harry Met Sally… with a dark streak. Jason Sudeikis will star as a good-natured womanizer who befriends a serial cheater, played by Alison Brie. Their relationship begins as platonic, and actually helps each become a bit of a better person. But how long will they be able to ignore their brewing attraction?
Word on Sleeping With Other People first broke last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival. At that time, Kirsten Dunst was attached to star opposite Sudeikis, but scheduling has since proved too big an obstacle. By March of this year, Brie was in talks, as was Scott. We're thrilled to hear Alison Brie has finally locked down the female lead--she damn well deserves it after her scene-stealing performances in Scream 4 and The Five-Year Engagement. But the player that has us most excited about Sleeping With Other People (yikes), is its writer-director Leslye Headland, who is emerging as a strong and outrageous new voice in comedy.
After writing for the short-lived but sharp series Terriers, Headland made her directorial debut with the bawdy comedy Bachelorette, which starred Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher and Lizzy Caplan as three of the world's worst, most depraved bridesmaids. It was a Sundance hit that was blisteringly funny and drew the likes of Gary Sanchez to take note of Headland's fearless and frank brand of humor. Her debut was so strong that we'd be on board for whatever she decided to helm next. A cast like this means Sleeping With Other People could be any even bigger hit for Headland.
Sleeping With Other People will roll into production this June in New York City. In case you haven't yet seen Bachelorette, be sure to check it out on Netflix, where it is now streaming.
