Stiller Hears Tropic Thunder

Where do you go after Dodgeball? After starring in a film that makes sweet comedy music out of people being hit repeatedly with wrenches, cars and large rubber objects, it might seem to some that they had climbed every humour mountain. But not so for Ben Stiller, who has signed on to star in and possibly direct Tropic Thunder, a war movie with a comedy twist. The multi-talented Stiller wrote the script along with Etan Cohen (co-author of the film formerly known as 3001 which is currently untitled) and Justin Thoreau. It tells the story of a group of actors who go on location in the jungle, and find themselves relying on their brief actor's boot-camp training when they find themselves in a real combat situation. Apparently Stiller came up with the idea when he worked on Spielberg's too-often overlooked Empire of the Sun in 1987, and has had it rattling around in his head ever since. If he does direct, this will be Stiller's first stint behind the camera since the mighty Zoolander. Given the chaos he caused in the fashion world and the world of professional sports, we can only imagine what he'll do in a jungle in combat gear with a gun, but as long as it's safely on the other side of the cinema screen, we look forward to it.