John Kennedy Toole’s novel “A Confederacy of Dunces” became a cult classic upon its release in 1980, eleven years after the author’s suicide. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction the next year, and a film version was put in the works shortly afterward. Groundhog Day director Harold Ramis was once set to go behind the camera with John Belushi starring, but the actor’s death brought the production to a halt. Years later, John Candy and Chris Farley were both in talks to play the lead role of Ignatius J. Reilly at various points, but they both tragically died early deaths as well.
As recently as 2005, Will Ferrell was attached to star in a film version of the story for director David Gordon Green, but that too fell apart. Now it appears Ferrell’s co-star in The Campaign, Zach Galifianakis, is the latest actor in talks to bring the iconic character to life.
Vulture reports that Galifianakis is attached to star for The Muppets director and “Flight of the Conchords” co-creator James Bobin. Cedar Rapids writer Phil Johnston is set to pen the script, so it looks like things could finally come together for this project. Sounds like a good group of talented individuals to me, so we’ll see if they can get things situated with the studio; mega-producer Scott Rudin is producing for Paramount Pictures.
I haven’t read this book, but I remember everyone getting really excited for the Ferrell movie version a few years back, and obviously nothing ever came of it. Have you read the book? Would this make a good film?
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