Moviefone Editorial

Tag: richard jewell

  • Paul Walter Hauser Joins Major League Wrestling

    Paul Walter Hauser. Photo: Major League Wrestling.
    Paul Walter Hauser. Photo: Major League Wrestling.

    Preview:

    • Paul Walter Hauser is taking part in a wrestling competition.
    • The actor has been announced for Major League Wrestling’s Battle Riot VI
    • It’s described as a mash-up of a battle royale and anything goes street fight.

    Just when you thought Paul Walter Hauser –– one of the most in-demand actors of the moment –– couldn’t possibly add anything else to an already packed schedule, along comes a curveball so out of left field it almost sounds like viral marketing for a future role.

    And while we’re still not entirely convinced it isn’t, news has now broken that the actor –– known for roles in movies such as ‘I, Tonya’ and ‘Richard Jewell’ (and his award-winning turn in Apple’s limited drama series ‘Black Bird’) –– is going to compete in Major League Wrestling’s Battle Riot VI.

    Related Article: Paul Walter Hauser Joining the Cast of Marvel’s ‘Fantastic Four’

    What is Major League Wrestling’s Battle Riot VI?

    Paul Walter Hauser in 'Battle Riot VI'.
    Paul Walter Hauser in ‘Battle Riot VI’. Photo: Major League Wrestling.

    Described as a mash-up of a battle royale and anything goes street fight, this super-sized main event will feature 40 of the fiercest wrestlers on the planet with new participants entering the ring every 60 seconds.

    And in truth, this isn’t perhaps as surprising as it might seem, since Hauser has quietly been building a pro-wrestling career even as his acting work has also taken off.

    In the new event, he’ll one of the competitors with other names including UFC stand-out Matt Riddle, Mexico’s biggest box-office draw Místico, multiple global champion Bobby Fish, “Death Machine” Sami Callihan, WCW legend and Karate Hall of Famer Ernest “The Cat” Miller and former MLW World Tag Team Champion Matthew Justice.

    Paul Walter Hauser and Wrestling: The Actor Speaks

    Matt Cardona vs. Paul Walter Hauser.
    (L to R) Matt Cardona vs. Paul Walter Hauser. Photo: Major League Wrestling.

    Here’s what Hauser had to say:

    “I’m so excited to take part in Major League Wrestling’s 6th Annual Battle Riot. While some could misconstrue this to be an actor making a cameo in wrestling, or a fan checking off some bucket list or wish fulfillment –– don’t get it twisted. I am entering to prove myself worthy of a spot in the world of wrestling, as well as a shot at Satoshi Kojima’s World Heavyweight Title.”

    And here’s MLW’s founder and CEO Court Bauer:

    “Paul is building something special with a two-track career driven by his passion and an unrelenting quality that separates the pretenders from the contenders. I don’t think there is anything Paul wants more than to put MLW gold next to his Golden Globe and Emmy. Now he will get his chance of making that happen at MLW Battle Riot VI.”

    What else is Paul Walter Hauser Attached To?

    Paul Walter Hauser stars in 'Black Bird,' now streaming on Apple TV+.
    Paul Walter Hauser stars in ‘Black Bird,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.

    Hauser has been at the center of several casting stories of late, including landing a role in Marvel’s ‘The Fantastic Four’, playing Captain Ed in the new ‘Naked Gun’ movie, a biopic of comedian and actor Chris Farley and a true-life tale from the world of quiz game ‘Press Your Luck’. And that’s without mentioning he’s one of the voices in Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’, due in theaters on June 14th.

    When will Battle Riot VI be Available to Watch?

    Battle Riot VI streamed live, for free for the first time ever on YouTube on Saturday, June 1 from Center Stage in Atlanta. You can find more details at this link.

    Major League Wrestling.
    Major League Wrestling.

    Other Paul Walter Hauser Movies and TV Shows:

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  • Paul Walter Hauser to Star in Chris Farley Biopic

    (Left) Paul Walter Hauser in Netflix's 'Coba Kai' season 5. (Right) Chris Farley in 'Tommy Boy.' Photo: Paramount Pictures.
    (Left) Paul Walter Hauser in Netflix’s ‘Coba Kai’ season 5. (Right) Chris Farley in ‘Tommy Boy.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    Preview:

    • Paul Walter Hauser to is to play Chris Farley for a new biopic.
    • Josh Gad is directing a movie based on a biography co-written by Farley’s brother.
    • Saturday Night Live boss Lorne Michaels will produce the movie.

    While many comedians and movie actors have been given the biopic treatment (though the current trend has been for musicians), it’s finally time for Saturday Night Live veteran Chris Farley to get his due.

    And there’s a package deal coming together that includes the adaptation of a biography co-written by his brother (with the family giving their blessing for the project), actor Josh Gad turning director for the movie and Paul Walter Hauser starring as Farley.

    Related Article: Jason Reitman’s ‘SNL 1975’ Adds Dylan O’Brien, Lamorne Morris and More

    What was Chris Farley’s story?

    Chris Farley and David Spade in 'Tommy Boy.' Photo: Paramount Pictures.
    (L to R) Chris Farley and David Spade in ‘Tommy Boy.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    Hailed as one of the greatest comic actors of his generation and has a tragic story that seems ideally suited to biopic treatment.

    Born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1964, he graduated from Marquette University in 1986, with a double major in communications and theater. At Marquette, he played rugby union and discovered a love of comedy. Though he’d then go to work at the same oil company as his father, his love of performing never left him, and he began to study improv comedy.

    That, in turn led him to legendary Chicago improv group Second City, where he started the same day as Stephen Colbert. From there, he was recruited by Lorne Michaels for ‘Saturday Night Live’.

    He joined an all-time ensemble of ‘SNL’ greats including Adam Sandler, David Spade, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and Norm Macdonald. From the start, Farley stood out with his amazing physical comedy, delivering iconic sketches like his ‘Van Down by the River’ performances as motivational speaker Matt Foley or trying out as a Chippendales dancer with Patrick Swayze that live in SNL lore.

    His success on the show would translate over to the big screen, where Farley soon would join the A-list of ’90s comedians with such hit films as ‘Tommy Boy’, ‘Black Sheep’ and ‘Beverly Hills Ninja’.

    But he also struggled with the addiction issues common to great comics: after being sober for three years, he would relapse and fall back in to drugs and alcohol, dying from an overdose in 1997 at 33. His death shocked the industry and his peers.

    What will the biopic draw from?

    Kaley Cuoco, Kevin Hart and Josh Gad in 'The Wedding Ringer'.
    (L to R) Kaley Cuoco, Kevin Hart and Josh Gad in ‘The Wedding Ringer’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    The new movie will have a script by ‘500 Days of Summer’s Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, who will work from biography ‘The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts’, written by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby.

    Josh Gad, best known for voicing Olaf in Disney’s ‘Frozen’ franchise and appearing in the live-action ‘Beauty and the Beast’ as LeFou. He’s produced several movies, but this would be his directorial debut.

    Who is Paul Walter Hauser?

    Paul Walter Hauser stars in 'Black Bird,' now streaming on Apple TV+.
    Paul Walter Hauser stars in ‘Black Bird,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.

    Hauser is probably best known for films including ‘I, Tonya’ and ‘Richard Jewell’, and for TV series such as ‘Cobra Kai’ and the Apple TV+ miniseries ‘Black Bird’, which won him an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

    Next up, he’ll be heard as one of the new voices in ‘Inside Out 2’, playing the emotion character Embarrassing.

    Chris Farley in 'Tommy Boy.'
    Chris Farley in ‘Tommy Boy.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

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  • Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde Join Clint Eastwood Drama ‘Richard Jewell’

    Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde Join Clint Eastwood Drama ‘Richard Jewell’

    Amazon

    The latest true-life tale from Oscar winner Clint Eastwood is shaping up to be quite the starry project, with two more big names joining the ensemble.

    Variety has the scoop that both Jon Hamm and Olivia Wilde have signed on for roles in “Richard Jewell” (previously titled “The Ballad of Richard Jewell”), based on the story of the titular security guard who discovered a bomb at Atlanta’s Centennial Park during the 1996 Olympics, and had his life destroyed as a result of a botched investigation. The film is adapted from writer Marie Brenner’s Vanity Fair article chronicling the case, with a script by Billy Ray (“The Hunger Games,” “Captain Phillips”).

    Paul Walter Hauser (“Late Night,” “I, Tonya”) is playing Jewell, with Kathy Bates set to play his mother, and Sam Rockwell playing his attorney. According to Variety, Hamm will portray an FBI agent who investigated the attempted bombing, while Wilde will play Kathy Scruggs, a real-life local reporter who covered the case from the beginning.

    Jewell’s story is a tragic one. Initially praised for discovering the bomb and saving hundreds of lives, authorities then pointed the finger at the security guard, accusing him of planting the device so that he could discover it himself, and look like a hero. Law enforcement leaked his alleged involvement to the press, and he was painted as a villain by the media and the public.

    Jewell was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing, but his reputation and health never recovered. He died a few years later, at age 44.

    Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio — who had initially signed on to play Jewell and his attorney, respectively, before exiting the project due to scheduling conflicts — will serve as producers. No word yet on a production start date.

    [via: Variety]