Bill Murray and Aziz Ansari are teaming up to star in an upcoming untitled feature for Searchlight Pictures, according to a new report.
MORE: Interview: Director Andrew Erwin Discusses His Work on American Underdog
Said report from The Hollywood Reporter states that Ansari is expected to participate heavily in the comedy-drama, as he will not only be starring in it, but will also produce the film alongside Youree Henley and directing it himself. He’s also already written the script, too. The project itself is said to be based on the Atul Gawande non-fiction book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. The book deals with topics including end-of-life care and how medicine has changed over time.
Details on the exact plot of the film and Ansari and Murray’s role has not been revealed as of yet, but Searchlight’s Presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield said they were excited about the potential of the film.
“Aziz Ansari is an incredible talent and, with this script, he brings a singular combination of insightful humor and pathos,” said Greenbaum and Greenfield in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with him on his feature directorial debut, which is long overdue, and, of course, working with the genius Bill Murray once again.”
MORE: Ice Age: Scrat Tales Poster & Photos Tease Next Disney+ Animated Shorts
For Ansari, this will be his first return to a major acting role since his time on Netflix’s Master of None, a show he co-created and which earned him two Emmy Awards for outstanding writing in a comedy series. For Murray, this will be his latest appearance following his 2021 roles in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch and Jason Reitman’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Murray is also set to make his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
