Who would have thought that the wild and wonderful world of male stripping would become such fodder for major Hollywood dramas? Following the success of Steven Soderbergh’s surprisingly complex Magic Mike, the studios are finally taking the hint and producing a few more stripping-related dramas with high profile stars. Besides the upcoming sequel Magic Mike XXL, the film I Am Chippendales, based on the book by Rodney Sheldon, will look to chart the rise of those most famous of naked artists, the Chippendale Dancers.
To this end, director Alan Ball (True Blood) has signed Ben Stiller to star as Chippendales choreographer Nick DeNoia, who helped to conceive the ideas behind the erotic dancing troupe that became so famous. I Am Chippendales will focus on the darker aspects of the male stripping world, somewhat touched on with Magic Mike, as original creators Paul Snider and Somen “Steve” Banerjee founded their famous dance troupe only to get wrapped up in arson and murder.
While Stiller prepares to take at least some of it off for the good of art, he’s also going to spend some time behind the camera on a very different type of drama. He’s now in talks to direct The Current War, based on the true story of Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, who raced to produce the world’s first stable electrical current. The Weinstein Company will produce the film, which means that we’ll probably hear about title changes and lawsuits long before it ever comes to theatres.
So, Ben Stiller has his work cut out for him over the next few years. Between male stripping and electric wars, it’s a far cry from the Meet the Parents star of yesteryear. I say more power to him – he’s definitely grown into an interesting actor and director.
As always, we’ll keep an eye on I Am Chippendales and The Current War as more news becomes available.