Bill Murray is an increasingly busy man, apparently adding an appearance in Cameron Crowe’s latest project to his already brimming slate. Based on an old, previously un-produced screenplay titled Deep Tiki, this project will mark the first collaboration between Murray and the respected director.
The re-vamped, re-worked story focuses on a washed up military contractor (Bradley Cooper) who is sent to Hawaii on a highly classified weapons satellite launch mission. On the island, events are complicated by a ‘talking computer,’ and the presence of ‘mystical island forces.’ While there, he crosses paths with an old flame (Rachel McAdams), and crosses swords with an Air Force pilot (Emma Stone), with whom he must ultimately team up with to scupper the mission.
The as yet untitled romantic comedy is already in production and co-stars Danny McBride, Alec Baldwin and Jay Baruchel. The details of Bill Murray’s role are being kept tightly under wraps for now, but the combination of this legendary comic force of nature and the director of Jerry Maguire is certainly intriguing.
In recent years, Murray has accompanied his frequent collaborations with indie genius Wes Anderson with appearances in small, independent titles such as Broken Flowers, Passion Play and Hyde Park on the Hudson. Cameron Crowe, on the other hand, is a somewhat more commercial filmmaker, whose 2011 movie We Bought A Zoo alone grossed over $120 million worldwide. Even his lesser known documentaries, such as 2011’s Pearl Jam Twenty are relative box office successes.
This all makes for an exciting prospect – that Crowe’s script is evidently of such quality that it seems to have caught the eye of the discerning Bill Murray is high praise indeed. With powerhouse producer Scott Rudin (Revolutionary Road, The Social Network, Moonrise Kingdom)Â on board for Sony, too, this project is definitely one to watch.
The previously titled Deep Tiki is expected to hit cinema screens worldwide in 2014.
