Taking a page out of theChris Hemsworthplaybook,Fifty ShadesstarJamie Dornanis signing on to joinBridesmaidsduoKristen WiigandAnnie Mumoloin the Lionsgate comedyBarb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Collider has confirmed.
Wiig and Mumolo will play best friends Barb and Star, who leave their small Midwestern town for the first time to go on vacation in Vista Del Mar, Florida, where they quickly get mixed up in a villain’s plot to kill everyone in town. Dornan will play a spy named Edgar, though it’s unclear whether he’s working for the forces of good, or evil.
Josh Greenbaumis directing from a script that Wiig and Mumolo co-wrote, and the scribes will also produce the film along withJessica Elbaumand her Gloria Sanchez Productions partnersWill FerrellandAdam McKay. Lionsgate will release the comedy in 2020.
Dornan is known for his somewhat dark aura, which stems from his casting as S&M enthusiast Christian Grey in the blockbusterFifty Shades of Greyfranchise, as well as his portrayal of a vicious serial killer onThe Fall. Since then, he hasn’t fared as well, asRobin Hoodflopped in theaters and hardly anyone saw movies likeAnthropoid,The 9th Life of Louis Drax, andThe Siege of Jadotville, which come to think of it, all boastterribletitles. That said, I thought Dornan was quite good oppositeRosamund PikeinA Private Warand I think he’s a talented actor who has, perhaps, been underestimated due to his work inFifty Shades, which is no one’s idea of a proper acting showcase.
The point is, Dornan needs to shake it up a bit, andBarb and Starrepresents a bold choice for him. It’s a promising project that offers him the opportunity to flex his comedy muscles, and its success won’t rest on his shoulders. Outside of the MCU, Hemsworth seems to be at his best in goofy supporting roles, fromGhostbusterstoVacation. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dornan thrived in a similar part, though I’m not sure what theBarb and Starscript ultimately asks him to do. Those Hemsworth roles were written as scene-stealers, so it’ll be interesting whether Dornan is working with similar material, or something more dramatic and sexy, likeSam Heughanin last year’s female-fronted comedyThe Spy Who Dumped Me.
Dornan will next be seen alongsideShailene WoodleyandSebastian StaninDrake Doremus' new movie, and he’s set to star oppositeAnthony MackieinJustin BensonandAaron Moorhead’s next filmSynchronic. Dornan is represented by UTA, andthe Hollywood Reporterbroke the news of his casting.
