The hilarious comedian Aziz Ansari is about to make his feature directorial debut with a currently untitled dramedy for Searchlight Pictures. The upcoming film is based on the 2014 non-fiction book titled Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, written by surgeon Atul Gawande, and will star Ansari alongside Bill Murray.
Ansari has also signed onto the Searchlight project as an executive producer, along with Youree Henley, Taylor Friedman and Cameron Chidsey. The comedian got his foot in the door with work-banter comedy in his performance in the outstanding series Parks and Recreation, where he played the beloved Tom Haverford. From there, the star was able to showcase his directorial abilities and talents with his Emmy-winning series, Master of None. His new film will give him yet another opportunity to explore and flex his directorial chops, but this time on the big screen with seasoned comedian and actor Murray by his side.
Details in regard to the specific plot of the film and what distinct characters the two stars will be portraying have yet to be announced. Searchlight Pictures has commented on just how excited they are to have Ansari and Murray on board - to be able to work with such inspiring artists. Although the dramedy is based largely off of Gawande's book, Ansari actually wrote the entire script for the film. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Searchlight Presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield shared in a joint statement, “Aziz Ansari is an incredible talent. With this script, he brings a singular combination of insightful humor and pathos."
"We’re thrilled to be partnering with him on his feature directorial debut - which is long overdue. And of course, working with the genius Bill Murray once again,” Greenbaum and Greenfield concluded. Gawande’s #1 New York Times bestseller details some of the hardest challenges that come with his profession, in which he argues that medical care should focus more so on quality of life rather than mere survival. The book addresses end-of-life care, hospice care, and also contains Gawande's reflections and personal stories.
Although the book that the movie is on seems rather morbid and technical in tone, seeing Ansari and Murray tackle a more serious narrative like this will be rather interesting. Lots of dark humor and ridiculous scenes of Murray and Ansari trying to dispose of a body bag come to mind. However, the plot promises rather groundbreaking and spiritually profound testaments to the larger field of medical care. The morality war it can cause within patients and surgeons alike is something that hasn’t been explored much before on film, or within mainstream media.
The upcoming Searchlight film is currently set for a theatrical release sometime in 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter