If there's one disappointing aspect of Harrison Ford's career, it's that he didn't do more straight-up comedies. Though Han Solo and Indiana Jones both had a rakish, comedic flair, it would've been nice to see him bantering with an in-her-prime Kathleen Turner or Diane Keaton in, say, a latter day take on THE FRONT PAGE.
Better late than never. We learned a few weeks ago that Harrison Ford was set to co-star in Roger Michell's MORNING GLORY, a workplace comedy about a harried morning news producer's efforts to force a detente between her show's feuding anchors. Rachel McAdams will play the producer, while Ford will bicker away as one of the anchors. Now, Variety is reporting that none other than Diane Keaton has signed on to play Ford's on- and off-air rival. Ford and Keaton as a couple of vain, pissed-off TV personalities? There's potential here - especially when you factor in a script from THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's Aline Brosh McKenna (and let's pretend 27 DRESSES never happened). Throw in Jeff Goldblum as McAdams's boss, and this sounds kinda irresistible.
J.J. Abrams, who's on the verge of ascending to geek God status with STAR TREK, is producing MORNING GLORY. I'm hit or miss with J.J.'s stuff, but I really like what he's putting together here. Michell's an incredibly underrated director (and remarkably versatile, what with PERSUASION, NOTTING HILL and CHANGING LANES), and this cast will deliver all day long provided the script's worth a damn. The film begins shooting next month, which means Paramount is probably targeting a first-quarter '10 release. Looking forward to it.
