Alan Alda has done more than enough in this life to win our respect – between being a TV veteran of the Korean War (M_A_S_H_) and running for TV president (on The West Wing). But now he’s joining the Booked Two Films At Once club, signing on to the comedy Wanderlust and Brett Ratner’s T****ower Heist.
Like Alda plans to, let’s tackle Wanderlust first, shall we? The film already boasts a decent pair of leads, with Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd as Noo Yoikers who try to get away from the stress and pressure of modern life by travelling around to find the perfect alternative society.
Also featured? Lauren Ambrose, Justin Theroux, Malin Akerman and The State’s Joe Lo Truglio. With Role Models’ Ken Marino and David Wain on script duties and Wain directing, we’re expecting big things from the film when it rolls in sometime next year. And the addition of Alda – playing the leader of a naturist village – keeps the comedy potential high.
Chances are he’ll also be bringing some laconic laughs to Ratner’s film too, though we’re guessing **Tower Heist **will be a little more dramatic. Ben Stiller is starring as the overworked manager of a luxury tower building, who, along with his staff, plots to get financial revenge on the crooked Wall Street fat cat (Alda) who swindled them out of their life savings with a Ponzi scheme, and now happens to be under house arrest in their building with his ill-gotten gains.
Oh, and as well as grabbing the two film roles, the Hollywood Reporter’s story also mentions that he’ll be back on 30 Rock again. Everybody wins!