Good news! The very funny and quirky Danny McBride’s star continues to rise and rise, with today’s news that he’ll write and star in the new Warner Bros. action comedy, Hench.
McBride – who appeared on the scene about five minutes ago with his starring role in The Foot Fist Way and has been knocking great cameos out of the park in the likes of Pineapple Express, Hot Rod and **Tropic Thunder **– will play an ex-American football player whose career is ended by injury.
Forced to find a regular job, a job type job, he signs up as a henchman for a successful villain. And from there, hilarity ensues…
The premise, based on a graphic novel by Adam Beechen and Mario Bello, is neat, if a little obviously inspired by Austin Powers, but McBride’s offbeat, arrogance-infused sense of humour, coupled with his burly physicality, should make this a winner. He’ll write the script with Shawn Harwell, with whom he’s written several episodes of his excellent HBO comedy, Eastbound And Down.
The step up to full-blown lead status has really happened for McBride in the last couple of months, thanks to that show. He’ll also star with James Franco in Your Highness, David Gordon Green’s period comedy follow-up to Pineapple Express. McBride will next be seen starring alongside his mentor, Will Ferrell, in Land Of The Lost.