Posted in: Movies, NBC, New Line Cinema, TV | Tagged: josh gad, New Line Cinema, Paul Walter Hauser, The Chris Farley Show

Chris Farley: Josh Gad/Paul Walter Hauser Biopic Lands at New Line

New Line Cinema has secured the rights to the Josh Gad-directed biopic "The Chris Farley Show," with Paul Walter Hauser attached to star.

Chris Farley's story is one step closer to being told on the big screen, with New Line Cinema securing the biopic rights to The Chris Farley Show, based on his Saturday Night Live talk sketch and biography of the same name. With the blessing of the Farley family, actor Josh Gad will make his directorial debut with Lorne Michaels and Erin David producing for Michaels' Broadway Video with Paul Walter Hauser attached to play the late actor and comedian, who passed in 1997. Emerging from the famed Chicago's Second City, Farley burst into the scene in 1990, making his debut for the Michaels-created SNL.

Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (The Disaster Artist, Daisy Jones & the Six) will pen the screenplay based on the New York Times Bestselling biography, The Chris Farley Show: a Biography in Three Acts, written by Chris Farley's brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby. The comedian became a monstrous hit with fans for his manic energy, stamina, timing, and presence on-screen. The actor thrived playing over-the-top characters often playing up his insecurities with his weight during his SNL sketches like "Chippendales Audition" and "Matt Foley: Van Down by the River."

Farley's SNL popularity landed him several roles on film and TV throughout his tenure including SNL-originated films Wayne's World (1992), Coneheads (1993), and Wayne's World 2 (1993). He also closely worked with Tom Arnold, making appearances in several of his sitcoms, including The Jackie Thomas Show, Roseanne, and Tom. His film career started picking up, which often features his SNL castmates, with memorable roles in 20th Century Studios' Airheads (1994), Universal's Billy Madison (1995), Paramount's Tommy Boy (1995), and Black Sheep (1996).

When Farley left SNL in 1996, the actor continued to make comedies while battling personal demons with appearances on Nickelodeon's sketch comedy series All That and Sony's Beverly Hills Ninja. Sadly, his final SNL appearance would be his lone episode hosting in 1997, a month before his death from an overdose. Farley kept a brave face, but his physical decline was too obvious to ignore during sketches. Farley's final projects were Warner Bros' Almost Heroes and MGM's Dirty Work, released posthumously in 1998. He was also the original voice of Shrek, the Dreamworks animated franchise, before the role was recast with SNL co-star Mike Myers.

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