Over the course of the last three decades, Ben Stiller has stood out as one of Hollywood's most consistent and eclectic performers. From full-blown comedies like Tropic Thunder to quieter dramas like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, he has increasingly diversified his resume and shown an incredible range of talents. Now it looks like he will soon put all of those abilities on full display, as his next major project -- described as a combination of Magic Mike and Scarface -- sounds like one of his most bizarre films yet.
More information about Ben Stiller's upcoming film Chippendales (a.k.a I Am Chippendales) has officially started to roll in, and it makes the movie sound absolutely bonkers. The story will chronicle the creation of the now iconic male stripper franchise in 1980s Los Angeles, and feature Ben Stiller as Nick DeNoia -- a children's TV show producer who (among other things) played a pivotal role in the recruitment of strippers and choreographing the shows.
While the Magic Mike comparison seems fairly obvious, it appears that Chippendales will draw heavily from Scarface in the way that it chronicles a rise to power, the bastardization of the American Dream, and (eventually) cold-blooded murder. With the long awaited Scarface remake still in development hell (after losing director David Ayer), Chippendales' take on the story feels like a solid consolation prize.
In addition to Ben Stiller, Deadline confirms that the film has also enlisted the acting chops of Dev Patel to pad its ensemble as Chippendales founder Steve Banerjee. The 27-year-old is currently riding high on the heels of his recent Oscar nomination for his work in Lion, so his inclusion among the cast of Chippendales should go a long way towards instilling further confidence in the admittedly weird premise.
Beyond the comparisons to Magic Mike and Scarface, Chippendales also seems to bear a striking similarity to the new Netflix hit GLOW. Both take place in a gritty, sun-soaked version of Los Angeles, and both properties deal in the creation of bizarre entertainment organizations that have developed cult fanbases. If nothing else, it seems to signify a growing trend of off-kilter and offbeat true stories that take a closer look at some of the weirder aspects of entertainment history.
While a blending of Magic Mike and Scarface may sound ridiculous at first, the concept seems like a solid choice for a guy like Ben Stiller. The comedian/filmmaker has ample experience melding seemingly oppositional ideas and styles into one cohesive property, such as his classic work on Zoolander -- which similarly blended the world of male modeling with a humorous take on The Manchurian Candidate. If any contemporary comedy actor can sell a story as crazy as this, then it has to be Stiller.
We will bring you more information related to the development of Chippendales as new details related to the project become available to us. If you're on the lookout for more updates regarding all of 2017's major theatrical release dates, then make sure to take a look at our handy movie premiere guide and get your movie going calendars filled out accordingly!
