Elevated to the status of Hollywood golden dude following the box-office bonanza of
The Hangover, director Todd Phillips is all set to oversee forthcoming ‘credit-crunch comedy’
Staycation, with scribes Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay assuming responsibility for penning the screenplay.
The movie’s concept apparently emanates from Phillips himself, but as yet there are no details forthcoming as to what the plot of
Staycation might be. Perhaps it might present something akin to the complete antithesis of the
National Lampoon’s... Vacation movies? With Chevy Chase imprisoned in the Negative Zone? Sadly, we can only speculate at this stage.
The screenwriting partnership of Hill and Manfredi is one of reasonably chequered history, with Jackie Chan’s
The Tuxedo and Charlize Theron-starrer
Æon Flux amongst their credits. Most recently they – along with
Raiders of the Lost Ark writer Lawrence Kasdan and John Glenn (the writer of
Eagle Eye, not the astronaut) - have been employed on Louis Leterrier’s
Clash of the Titans remake.
With the addition of
Staycation, Phillips’ Green Hat company is now able to boast a really rather full production ledger. As well as the inevitable
Hangover 2, other features in-the-works include
Murray at Large, penned by Phillips in tandem with
Break-Up screenwriter Jeremy Garelick, and
Man-Witch. The latter flick was at one point set to star Jack Black and focuses on a school teacher who, on discovery of magic powers, is inducted into a coven, where he is forced to learn his eldritch trade alongside young female witches-in-training.
But the next project helmed by Phillips himself looks set to be
Due Date, in which an expectant father races to be at the birth of his child, with an oddball travelling companion (played by Zach Galifianakis) aiding/addling his efforts...
Planes, Trains and Automobiles anyone?
Sources:
Empire,
Variety 
November 27, 2007, 07:45:05 AM
