Is that this the funniest comedy you’ll never see — due to cancel culture?
In 2016, Jamie Foxx, 54, and Jeremy Piven, 57, began filming “All-Star Weekend,” a movie about two NBA-obsessed friends in Indiana. Piven’s character is Steph Curry’s biggest fan, while Foxx’s worships LeBron James. The pair win tickets to the NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles and on their way out west, they run right into a forged of wacky characters and find themselves in a dangerous situation with their hoop idols.
The premise and the forged, which incorporates Robert Downey Jr., Benicio del Toro, Gerard Butler and Eva Longoria, look like a slam dunk. And Foxx, who was making his directorial debut with the movie, gave many glowing interviews concerning the project.
“It’s so relevant without delay,” Foxx told the Hollywood Reporter in 2018. “Comedy, without delay, needs a movie like ‘All-Star Weekend’ and something you haven’t seen before.”
Jeremy Piven and Jamie Foxx, who play NBA-obsessed friends in comedy “All Star Weekend.” They filmed the comedy in 2016. Bauer Griffin / MEGA
The movie was originally slated to be released in the course of the 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend, but was pushed to the 2019 hoops extravaganza due to post-production delays. Then it never appeared, and now the film seems to have been indefinitely shelved.
Last week, Foxx suggested the humor was too out of bounds for today’s uptight comedy climate through which comedians like Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais have landed in hot water for jokes which have touched society’s third rails.
Robert Downey Jr., who plays a Mexican in “All-Star Weekend,” is pictured on set with co-star Jeremy Piven.Bauer Griffin / MEGA
“It’s been tough with the lay of the land in terms of comedy,” Foxx told CinemaBlend last week when asked about “All-Star Weekend.”
“We’re attempting to break open the sensitive corners where people return to laughing again,” he said, continuing to be vague concerning the film’s status.
Within the envelope-pushing flick, Robert Downey Jr. plays a Mexican man and Foxx plays a “white racist cop.”
Foxx has been vocal concerning the need for provocative comedy. In a 2017 appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, he said he never reads social media comments because it might stifle his creativity.
“If I read all of the comments I’d never tell one other joke,” he said. “I got a movie we just shot for little or nothing, called ‘All-Star Weekend.’ The jokes are all the best way on the market … Should you read the comments, that may make you tuck that in,” he said, calling the project “good.”
“It’s so relevant without delay,” Foxx told the Hollywood Reporter in 2018. “Comedy, without delay, needs a movie like ‘All-Star Weekend’ and something you haven’t seen before.”Getty Images
“There may be some things where you may see ‘ooh,’ you may see there’s some s–t occurring,” he said of the independent movie, which was never attached to a studio.
In the identical interview he defended Robert Downey Jr. doing blackface within the 2008 Vietnam War satire “Tropic Thunder” and said he suggested Downey Jr. play a Mexican person in “All-Star Weekend.”
“I called Robert, I said, ‘I would like you to play a Mexican.’ ” He initially agreed, however the “Ironman” star got cold feet and texted the Oscar winner saying the role made him nervous.
“I said, ‘S–t, you played the black dude and also you killed that s–t.’ We got to have the opportunity to do characters.”
In 2008, Robert Downey Jr, played a personality doing blackface in “Tropic Thunder” and in a 2017 interview, Jamie Foxx defended the controversial performance.REUTERS
The “Tropic Thunder” role earned Downey Jr. an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor — and tons of blowback. But he has no regrets. During an interview with Joe Rogan in 2020, Downey Jr. acknowledged the delicacy of the part and that Sean Penn had “possibly properly” turned it down.
“And 90 percent of my black friends were like, ‘Dude, that was great.’ I can’t disagree with [the other 10 percent], but I do know where my heart lies. I believe that it’s never an excuse to do something that’s misplaced and out of its time, but to me it blasted the cap on [the issue]. I believe having an ethical psychology is job one. Sometimes, you only gotta go, ‘Yeah I effed up.’ In my defense, ‘Tropic Thunder’ is about how unsuitable [blackface] is, so I take exception.”
Co-star Piven looked as if it would suggest the delay wasn’t the possibly offensive material but Foxx’s perfectionist streak. During a May appearance on “Get Some with Gary Owen,” Piven was frank concerning the flick’s future.
In “All-Star Weekend” Jeremy Piven (left) and Jamie Foxx play two NBA-obsessed friends. Eva Longoria also stars within the comedy while DJ Khaled (right) makes a cameo. Above, the forged with producer Deon Taylor, who’s between Foxx and DJ Khaled.
“We did a movie with Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. and Benicio del Toro and Gerry Butler and also you’ll never see it. Jamie doesn’t wish to release it.
“And it’s considered one of those things where Foxx might be essentially the most talented guy I’ve ever been around, known, heard of. He’s the funniest guy within the room. He can sing. There’s nothing Foxx can’t do.
“I had the time of my life … Foxx is absolutely hard on himself. He’s considered one of these dudes, you understand, he wants it to be perfect, so he’s been holding onto this thing for five years.”
Perfectionist or not, comedian Luenell, who also has a component in “All-Star Weekend,” gave the film and Foxx a ringing endorsement in 2017.
Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Piven on the set of “All-Star Weekend.”Bauer Griffin / MEGA
“A lot of individuals are in it, and it’s a extremely good role. It’s greater than a cameo. And it’s really funny. Jamie doesn’t do junk,” she told the St. Louis Dispatch.
One other potential wrinkle is timing. When it was originally slated for release, the movie had an ideal real-life basketball peg. Then-Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James and Golden State guard Steph Curry spent 4 years going face to face within the NBA Finals — however the running rivalry got here to an end with the 2018 series.
Shelving a finished film is a rarity in Hollywood, particularly one with such big stars. Warner Brothers made headlines earlier this month when The Post reported the studio was yanking “Batgirl” after it was poorly received by audiences at test screenings. Similarly, Jerry Lewis insisted his 1972 flick, “The Day the Clown Cried,” never see the sunshine of day because the story a few clown imprisoned in a Nazi camp was also poorly received during test screenings.
Eva Longoria can be within the star studded comedy. Getty Images
In line with Deadline the film was financed, however it’s unclear if investors have been paid back by Foxx.
“All-Star Weekend” producer Avram “Butch” Kaplan said “no comment” when asked concerning the mysterious delay and Foxx’s representatives didn’t return a call for comment.
“It’s going to be a period drama by the point they put it out,” added Piven.
