Is that this the funniest comedy you’ll by no means see — due to cancel tradition?
In 2016, Jamie Foxx, 54, and Jeremy Piven, 57, began filming “All-Star Weekend,” a film about two NBA-obsessed associates in Indiana. Piven’s character is Steph Curry’s greatest fan, whereas Foxx’s worships LeBron James. The pair win tickets to the NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles and on their means out west, they run right into a forged of wacky characters and discover themselves in a harmful scenario with their hoop idols.
The premise and the forged, which incorporates Robert Downey Jr., Benicio del Toro, Gerard Butler and Eva Longoria, look like a slam dunk. And Foxx, who was making his directorial debut with the film, gave many glowing interviews in regards to the challenge.
“It’s so related proper now,” Foxx informed the Hollywood Reporter in 2018. “Comedy, proper now, wants a film like ‘All-Star Weekend’ and one thing you haven’t seen earlier than.”
The film was initially slated to be launched in the course of the 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend, however was pushed to the 2019 hoops extravaganza due to post-production delays. Then it by no means appeared, and now the movie appears to have been indefinitely shelved.
Final week, Foxx urged the humor was too out of bounds for as we speak’s uptight comedy local weather during which comedians like Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais have landed in scorching water for jokes which have touched society’s third rails.
“It’s been robust with the lay of the land in the case of comedy,” Foxx told CinemaBlend final week when requested about “All-Star Weekend.”
“We’re attempting to interrupt open the delicate corners the place folks return to laughing once more,” he mentioned, persevering with to be obscure in regards to the movie’s standing.
Within the envelope-pushing flick, Robert Downey Jr. performs a Mexican man and Foxx performs a “white racist cop.”
Foxx has been vocal in regards to the want for provocative comedy. In a 2017 appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, he mentioned he by no means reads social media feedback as a result of it could stifle his creativity.
“If I learn all of the feedback I’d by no means inform one other joke,” he mentioned. “I bought a film we simply shot for little or nothing, referred to as ‘All-Star Weekend.’ The jokes are all the best way on the market … In the event you learn the feedback, that can make you tuck that in,” he mentioned, calling the challenge “good.”
“There may be some issues the place you’ll be able to see ‘ooh,’ you’ll be able to see there’s some s–t occurring,” he mentioned of the impartial film, which was by no means hooked up to a studio.
In the identical interview he defended Robert Downey Jr. doing blackface within the 2008 Vietnam Battle satire “Tropic Thunder” and mentioned he urged Downey Jr. play a Mexican particular person in “All-Star Weekend.”
“I referred to as Robert, I mentioned, ‘I would like you to play a Mexican.’ ” He initially agreed, however the “Ironman” star bought chilly toes and texted the Oscar winner saying the position made him nervous.
“I mentioned, ‘S–t, you performed the black dude and also you killed that s–t.’ We bought to have the ability to do characters.”
The “Tropic Thunder” position earned Downey Jr. an Oscar nomination for greatest supporting actor — and tons of blowback. However he has no regrets. Throughout an interview with Joe Rogan in 2020, Downey Jr. acknowledged the delicacy of the half and that Sean Penn had “presumably correctly” turned it down.
“And 90 % of my black associates have been like, ‘Dude, that was nice.’ I can’t disagree with [the other 10 percent], however I do know the place my coronary heart lies. I believe that it’s by no means an excuse to do one thing that’s misplaced and out of its time, however to me it blasted the cap on [the issue]. I believe having an ethical psychology is job one. Generally, you simply gotta go, ‘Yeah I effed up.’ In my protection, ‘Tropic Thunder’ is about how improper [blackface] is, so I take exception.”
Co-star Piven appeared to counsel the delay wasn’t the possibly offensive materials however Foxx’s perfectionist streak. Throughout a May appearance on “Get Some with Gary Owen,” Piven was frank in regards to the flick’s future.
“We did a film with Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. and Benicio del Toro and Gerry Butler and also you’ll by no means see it. Jamie doesn’t need to launch it.
“And it’s a type of issues the place Foxx might be essentially the most proficient man I’ve ever been round, identified, heard of. He’s the funniest man within the room. He can sing. There’s nothing Foxx can’t do.
“I had the time of my life … Foxx is actually laborious on himself. He’s one in all these dudes, you understand, he needs it to be good, so he’s been holding onto this factor for 5 years.”
Perfectionist or not, comedian Luenell, who additionally has an element in “All-Star Weekend,” gave the movie and Foxx a ringing endorsement in 2017.
“Numerous individuals are in it, and it’s a extremely good position. It’s greater than a cameo. And it’s actually humorous. Jamie doesn’t do junk,” she informed the St. Louis Dispatch.
One other potential wrinkle is timing. When it was initially slated for launch, the film had an ideal real-life basketball peg. Then-Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James and Golden State guard Steph Curry spent 4 years going face to face within the NBA Finals — however the working rivalry got here to an finish with the 2018 sequence.
Shelving a completed movie is a rarity in Hollywood, significantly one with such large stars. Warner Brothers made headlines earlier this month when The Post reported the studio was yanking “Batgirl” after it was poorly obtained by audiences at check screenings. Equally, Jerry Lewis insisted his 1972 flick, “The Day the Clown Cried,” by no means see the sunshine of day as a result of the story a couple of clown imprisoned in a Nazi camp was also poorly received during test screenings.
According to Deadline the movie was financed, however it’s unclear if traders have been paid again by Foxx.
“All-Star Weekend” producer Avram “Butch” Kaplan mentioned “no remark” when requested in regards to the mysterious delay and Foxx’s representatives didn’t return a name for remark.
“It’s going to be a interval drama by the point they put it out,” added Piven.
