The folks over at MGM are currently working on a project titled The Zookeeper. The information we have about this project to date is next to nothing. The official line from the studio is that the film is about a lonely zoo keeper who decides to leave his job because he can’t meet a girl and the animals who intervene and teach him nature’s secrets.” It will be a romantic comedy, written by Jay Sherick, David Ronn, and Scot Armstrong. The director currently attatched is Frank Coraci. If you don’t know who that is, don’t feel too bad. Even I had to look up the guy. Apparently he is a member of the “leech off of Adam Sandler” club. But we haven’t even gotten to the best part. The lead currently slated to star in this film is none other than the Mall Cop himself, Kevin James. After seeing Paul Blart: Mall Cop, I couldn’t agree with this casting choice any more than I currently do. IF this project ends up shooting with James still playing the zookeeper, and it’s early enough in the process for this to fall through, then Kevin James will forever be known for playing the love able, bumbling idiot and stereo-typical fat guy.
If that is what he wants, than that’s his choice. But I know Kevin James from his time as a stand up comedian first and foremost, and it’s sad for me to see him head down this road. The guy is hilarious on stage and can really work a crowd. His stand up routine does typically include jokes that make him come across as the “bumbling idiot” but I refuse to believe that Kevin James wants to be forever pidgeon-holed into that character for the rest of his career. Who would? I’m sure he could pull off other character types, if given the chance. But Zookeeper is the film that will seriously shape the rest of his career. For his sake, I hope that he drops this project A.S.A.P. The movie may or may not be good, it’s way to early to tell how the final project will end up. It is not too early to see what this character will be like. A Zookeeper who listens to, and talks to, the animals in the zoo where he works? A guy who can’t seem to get a girl, and he needs the help of zoo animals? You don’t have to be a movie expert to see what this character will be like. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens.
The project is slated for release some time in 2010.