Negotiations are underway between Will Forte, David Wain (director of Wet Hot American Summer) and Netflix, regarding the creation of A Futile and Stupid Gesture. The project is set to follow the life and death of National Lampoon co-founder Doug Kenney, whom Forte would portray in the film.
Although the National Lampoon franchise is known for its comedic material, Kenney’s story is a tragic one. After creating National Lampoon with Henry Beard and Robert Hoffman – all Harvard graduates – Kenney moved to Los Angeles to be closer to the creation of films like Animal House and Caddyshack. A drug and alcohol problem began soon after.
His issues came to a head when friend Chevy Chase took him on a trip to Hawaii:
The negative reviews that Caddyshack received sent Kenney on a downward spiral, and in an effort to lift his spirits, Chevy Chase took him to Hawaii. When Chase had to leave to return to work, Kenney’s girlfriend flew down. She stayed until she also had to leave to get back to work, but as Chase was preparing to fly back down, he got a phone call that Kenney was missing. His body was found at the bottom of the cliff, with his death at the age of 33 officially ruled an accident albeit somewhat unclear as to whether it might be a suicide.
Although Forte is currently sticking it out as The Last Man On Earth (well, besides all of the other last people on earth), he’s been known to tackle dramatic parts, like the critically-acclaimed 2013 film Nebraska. Hell, even on the mostly silly The Last Man On Earth things can take a surprisingly dark turn, so it’ll definitely be interesting to see what he does with such a complex personality.
The movie will be based off of the 2006 book of the same name, by Josh Karp, and begins production in April. Do you think A Futile and Stupid Gesture has the chance to be great? Let us know in the comments section below.