Jack Black is reteaming with his Nacho Libre director Jared Hess for Micronations, which will peer inside the bizarre world of “do-it-yourself” countries.
The comedy, which boasts a screenplay by New Girl scribes Robert Snow and Christian Magalhaes, centers on the weirdos and wackjobs who reside in backyards that they’ve declared to be sovereign. Black is playing a lovable oddball appointed the head of defense for the 12-person nation of Valoria, which is at war with a neighboring country.
Hess, who directed Napoleon Dynamite and the upcoming Masterminds, released an official statement:
“Once I learned that there were people within the United States who have created their very own countries, I knew I had to make a movie about them. Jack and I have been looking for another project to team up on, and the hilarious world of micronations spoke to both of us.”
I wasn’t a big fan of Nacho Libre, but there’s a lot of potential in Micronations‘ premise, and Hess proved himself a canny spokesperson for the eccentric among us with Napoleon Dynamite, rightly regarded as a cult classic. With Black leading the cast for this one, I’m definitely intrigued enough to keep an eye on it.
Of course, news that Hess is tackling Micronations likely means he’s out of the running for Marvel and Sony’s Spider-Man reboot, after having previously been named as a contender on the studios’ apparent shortlist. That leaves Warm Bodies director Jonathan Levine, Pitch Perfect‘s Jason Moore, St. Vincent helmer Ted Melfi, and John Francis Daley and Johnathan M. Goldstein, who are tag-teaming Warner Bros.’ Vacation reboot.
The shortlist still doesn’t inspire confidence, given that none of the helmers here have much experience dabbling in superhero or even action territory, but Hess was always one of the most unlikely picks out of that bunch, so it’s probably just as well that he’s sticking with quirky comedies.
