It’s been quite a good few years for Kumail Nanjiani and John Cena.
Nanjiani became well known to mainstream audiences with his breakout role on HBO’s TV series Silicon Valley.
This year he starred in The Big Sick (see my review here), a film he also co-wrote and for which he received universal acclaim from audiences and critics.
Meanwhile, Cena has become ever more present in pop culture since his recent supporting roles in comedies like Trainwreck (2015 – our review) and Daddy’s Home (2015).
While the two hardly seemed destined to work together, it certainly appears like a winning combination now that the notion has been suggested.
Deadline reports that Nanjiani and Cena will co-star in a buddy cop film for Universal.
At the moment, Ruben Fleischer is in the director’s chair, which is definitely an interesting choice.
After his debut feature Zombieland (2009), Fleischer seemed like a sure thing; however his subsequent films have left much to be desired and he has yet to reach those heights again.
That being said, judging from Zombieland alone, he has a knack for comedy and thrives on unusual dynamics (see Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson).
Add to that his ability to toy with genre conventions and put a new twist on very well-trodden ground, and there’s massive potential for success with this feature.
At this stage the project remains untitled, but it has all of the makings of a modern classic.
Fingers crossed Fleischer can get his groove back and deliver a film with the humour and wit he’s clearly capable of.
COMMENTS