Hangover director Todd Phillips, along with Pursuit of Happyness writer Steven Conrad, is developing a biopic about John Belushi. Warner Bros. recently acquired the rights from Belushi’s estate, the Risky Business blog reports.
Conrad is writing with Phillips producing. He has not yet committed to directing. Alexandra Milchan and Bonnie Timmerman are also producing.
The project would be the latest attempt at a full-scale biopic about Belushi, who died of a drug overdose in 1982 at age 33.
Bob Woodward’s panned 1985 biography, Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi, was adapted for the screen and saw Belushi’s friends and family publicly boycott the film.
It’s unclear whether adjacent rights to prominent figures in Belushi’s life, such as manager Bernie Brillstein and SNL colleagues Dan Aykroyd, Lorne Michaels and Chevy Chase, have also been acquired by the studio, says BIZ.
As for who could star as Belushi, the blog notes that one actor mentioned as a potential strong fit for the role would be Zach Galifianakis, but he’s already 40 years old, as is Jack Black, another possible fit.
The next generation who could possibly pull it off include Jonah Hill (26), Seth Rogen (28), Ethan Suplee (34) and Tyler Labine (32).
