io9: ricky gervais

Ricky Gervais' Hideous Creatures Get 3D Movie

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Ricky Gervais' disturbing little creatures, which look like a mix of private parts and lung butter, will be flying into your laps 3D in their own major motion picture. Is there room for more monsters?

The Flanimals are part of a four volume series, illustrated by Rob Sheen, and written by British comic Ricky Gervais. The main blob will voiced by Gervais, and it could actually be quite hilarious to see someone animate the Brit's infamous stutter-and-stop delivery.

This species inhabits another planet, and there are over 50 different types of these intentionally hideous creatures. Universal-based Illumination Entertainment will be making the feature, in which we all learn that beauty is in the eye of the beholder — unless you look like that guy up there. There's no helping him.

[Variety]

Who Should Cameo in Star Trek Other Than Ricky Gervais?

Meredith Woerner — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:08:57 PDT

Everyone's favorite stuttering Brit, Ricky Gervais admitted to Entertainment Weekly that he passed on a part in J.J. Abram's big budget Star Trek origins tale. While we love all things from the creator of The Office, we're glad that this already fan-service heavy film isn't getting too many gratuitious cameos. That said, there are a few actors we wouldn't mind seeing have a cameo in the new Trek — which one do you think would rock the hardest?

Said Gervais to EW:

I was never a big fan, so I would've felt guilty taking the part just to be in a blockbuster. To what? Boost my profile? [...] I'm not trying to be a film star. I don't care if I never do another film again. I can create my own material and I've got to remember that. As exciting as it is to be a film star, it means nothing to me.

I think that putting Gervais in the new Star Trek flick would have been like Ted Danson's cameo in Saving Private Ryan, ruining the hard work Abrams' has already put into the film. I'm still shocked that Winona Ryder was cast and worry that seeing the little pixie dressed up in Amanda Grayson's futuristic muumuu will completely kill the moment for me. Still if I had to pick who I'd want to see drop in on the baby crew of the Enterprise, these are my picks of the litter. Which one do you like?

Scifi Comedy With Ricky Gervais as a Lying Liar from Another World

Meredith Woerner — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:20:00 PDT

Ricky Gervais, creator of the acerbic British version of The Office, lives in an alternate universe in This Side Of The Truth. He's the man who discovers how to lie in a world where honesty is the only policy. Truth has a stellar comedy cast including Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, Jonah Hill Christopher Guest, and Rob Lowe. Anything with Gervais and Bateman in it with a scifi alternate world slant has me interested. Click through to read more and check out a gallery of Gervais' set pictures.

Gervais plays the character Mark Bellison who he describes as a, "a loser and basically a nice guy. He is a very unsuccessful screenwriter in his forties with average looks, moderate intelligence and little hope for the future." Since no one in this world lies screen writers primarily re-tell historical facts. The character is in a miserable existence because he is forced to retell the 1300s and all he has to work with is the plague. Eventually Bellison realizes that he can make up his own facts (or "discover lost stories) and manipulate them to become the best story teller in the world.

Most of the filming is being done in Boston or the Boston suburbs, and most of the set appears to be in modern day times, yet there were few references to caveman costumes and the crew built a giant pre-historic warthog for one scene. Seems like the focus is largely on Bellison and his sad friends (Bald Louis CK and Jonah Hill) at work or in a bar.

Gervais has kept a blog of the comings and goings on the set of This Side Of The Truth. The videos are mainly Ricky Gervais goofing around on set and teasing Jason Bateman for his work on Teen Wolf Too. [Ricky Gervais]

Worst Doctor Who Spoof Ever

charliejane — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:00:17 PST

Doctor Who star David Tennant played himself (and the Doctor) in the final episode of Extras, and dredged up every painful stereotype about the show. It's all there: the crappy costume, the technobabble, the dumb science lesson (sodium chloride=salt) and the dying alien's mouth goo. It's not nearly as good a Who spoof as the French and Saunders version or Curse of the Fatal Death. But it's worth a look for David Tennant mocking his own jutting-jaw acting.

Battlestar Could Be Knocked Out By Contract Tangles

charliejane — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 05:30:00 PST

Will Battlestar Galactica ever film its final episodes? Maybe not, says Ron Moore. Blame complicated contract wrangling: the studio wants to keep the show's actors on contract without paying them, under the "force majeure" clauses of their contracts. But because the show managed to film the required minimum of 13 episodes before halting production, their contracts may allow them to seek work elsewhere. Bottom line: when the show is ready to resume production, the actors may or may not be available. Says Moore: "I refuse to believe that we won't finish, that we won't be back to film our final stories, but I know and accept there is that possibility." [TVSquad]

More news after the jump.

Also in danger of being scuppered by strikes: the Justice League and Wolverine movies. Both films are supposed to be filming in Australia, but a lack of studio space and Justice League's script problems may delay them. If both films aren't finished by this summer, the impending Screen Actors' Guild strike could wreck them. [Cinemablend]
David Hasselhoff is in talks to reprise the first role that made him infamous: that of Michael Knight, in the new Knight Rider backdoor pilot. He'd be starring opposite two soap opera actors: Deanna Russo and Justin Bruening. Bruening will play Knight's son, who never knew his father, much less realized he talked to his car. [Hollywood Reporter]
Jennifer Garner will co-star alongside Ricky Gervais in This Side of the Truth. Gervais (The Office, Extras) co-wrote and will co-direct the film, about an alternate universe where everybody tells the truth all the time. Gervais plays a lowly clerk, who discovers how to lie and get everything he wants, including Garner. [Movie Blog @ UGO]