Good news for fans of Galaxy Quest – Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver are back back back!
Sadly, they won’t be reuniting on a sequel to their cracking sci-fi comedy. However, their new project, Crazy On The Outside, does sound distinctly interesting, given that it not only marks Allen’s directorial debut, but it’s a comedy about an ex-con trying to go straight.
Parallels with Allen’s life will be unavoidable, of course, given that he once served time for cocaine possession – but perhaps that personal factor is what marked this project out for Allen, and it should be interesting to see a) how much of his own experience will be brought to bear on the screenplay, by Judd Pillott and John Peaslee, and b) how he can put a comic spin on it all.
Weaver will play Allen’s loving but manipulative older sister, while the wonderful J.K. Simmons will play her sarcastic and taunting husband. Jeanne Tripplehorn has also joined the cast as Allen’s parole officer and the object of his affections.
In fact, it’s a cracking cast, with Ray Liotta, Kelsey Grammer and Julie Bowen also on board. And this one will be interesting – Allen has, in Empire’s opinion, faffed around with kiddie fare and underwhelming family comedies for too long. It’s good to see him tackle something a little meatier – and with this and David Mamet’s thriller, Redbelt, coming up, might we be seeing a career reinvention?