Justin Timberlake to play game show host/self-proclaimed assassin Chuck Barris for Apple
TV Features Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake is taking on a new gig (or two) for Apple this week, with Deadline reporting that the Palmer star has signed on for a TV version of Chuck Barris’ Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind. Described by the author—best known for his role as creator of The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, and especially the raucous variety series The Gong Show—as an “unauthorized autobiography,” the 1984 book depicts Barris as both a well-known game show host…and a CIA assassin. (The CIA has denied all associations between itself and the TV producer, who died in 2017.) The book was previously adapted for the screen in 2002 by Sam Rockwell, George Clooney, and Charlie Kaufman, serving as Clooney’s directorial debut, and giving Rockwell another in a long line of charismatic assholes to play.
Which, honestly, is part of why this Timberlake casting is so strange; Justin Timberlake is many things, but “acerbic, cynical outsider who may or may not also be a hired government killer” doesn’t really fit the bill. Regardless, though, he’ll be teaming up on the project with Ray Donovan executive producer David Hollander, who’ll be taking time off his busy still-making-Ray-Donovan schedule to serve as a showrunner on the new series. And, again: “The Ray Donovan guy” isn’t a bad fit for adapting Barris’ nasty little novel/biography, but the thought of him (and Justified writer Jon Worley, penning the pilot script) running Timberlake through these paces—especially in light of Palmer, which never credibly sold its star as its titular hardened ex-con—remains extremely difficult to imagine, no matter how much money Apple spent on buying the rights to this property at auction. To be frank—and personal foibles aside—Justin Timberlake doesn’t even seem purposefully vicious enough to host The Gong Show, let alone use it as a cover for a job as an international dealer of death.
No word yet on when the series will arrive at Apple.
30 Comments
So will this be an improvement or a downgrade from his performance in Southland Tales?
As the site’s most stridently annoying Southland Tales fan/historian, I will say that when Justin Timberlake is doing Justin Timberlake things (starring in a music video as women fawn over him) he is very good, and when he is doing not-Justin Timberlake things (talking) he is less good.
*singing someone else’s song.
So what is your review of the new extended Blu Ray release?
He was pretty much flawless as a smug asshole who cons people into liking him in The Social Network.
To be fair, that’s pretty much just him playing himself.
Yeah, that’s kinda what I was getting at.
First, since Sam Rockwell IS a charismatic asshole, is he really acting? Just kidding, he is a very good actor AND and charismatic asshole. I’m sure he takes great pride in that.Second, Rockwell was so great as Chuck Barris in Confessions because Barris himself was a very charismatic asshole.Third, I agree Justin Timberlake is just too likable for this role. He’s definitely charismatic, but he’s just not enough of an asshole for this role to be a good fit for him. Of course, Britney and Janet might disagree.
Now I’m wondering what it says about me that I don’t think Timberlake is likable enough to play a role Rockwell played previously.
It’s not you, it’s him.I like Justin Timberlake, but punching him in the face won’t make me feel better about him. He’s likable and entertaining, but he just IS. I can’t think of anything he can do to make it better.On the other hand, I’d like Sam Rockwell better if I could punch him in the face a few times. Even if he hit me back—which he most likely would—I think we’d likely have a few beers after that.The truth is that most of us are likable sometimes and assholes sometimes. It’s easier to relate to a guy who seems like one of us.
So first I’ve heard that Chris Pratt is officially out of the AV Club’s good graces…and now Sam Rockwell is apparently an asshole albeit a charismatic one?Dare I ask why Rockwell is an asshole…?
Well, several of the characters he’s played have been arseholes. And sometimes in interviews he’s talked about trying to understand his characters’ motivations, so the assumption is he must be an arsehole too.
Being an asshole isn’t necessarily a disqualifier. Lots of people are assholes and still lead normal, productive lives.
Rockwell was so, so, SO great in it. The film just falls short of greatness, but it’s THE definitive Rockwell performance.
I think one movie about this guy was probably enough.
Counterpoint- Justin Timberlake is a preternaturally gifted young man and I look forward to seeing his effort in this case.
Hopefully the soundtrack features a JT cover of Palisades Park.
I liked Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, but holy shit, that movie is already about an hour too long.* Watching it stretched to series length with a lead who was a zygote when The Gong Show premiered just seems like torture. *cut every scene with Roberts, cut every CIA scene that Cloontang isn’t in, then double the length of every Barrymore scene and you have a much better film.
You’re exaggerating, but unfortunately you’re not wrong. When I’ve rewatched it, I’ve spent the first half hour or so thinking “wait, why is not one of my favourite films ever!?”… and then remembering. It starts with great energy, but it sags in the middle, and the end is… OK. It’s still a film I really like, but… it could have been brilliant if they’d tightened it up a bit. [and yes, less Roberts and more Barrymore]
This remake idea is almost like a comedy sketch idea. The original was directed by George Clooney from a script by Charlie Kaufmann, starring Sam Rockwell; so OF COURSE the remake is made by the executive produce of Ray Donovan and starring Justin Timberlake. Because that’s not an insanely bad idea…[in theory, making it a series does make sense. There’s plenty of episodic material available, between Barris’ day job, his assassination missions, and his personal life. But turning it into a series essentially kills off the best thing about it – the hallucinatory madness of it all. It’s an idea that works best when you’re thinking ‘what the hell is going on!?’, not when you’re taking it seriously as the basis for a weekly procedural. The only way the series could be good is if they gave it to someone like Noah Hawley…][…OK, I’ve soured on Hawley’s recent efforts, but thinking about it, yes, they should totally give this to Noah Hawley, it’s exactly the series he could make. I’d also accept Bryan Fuller or Rob Thomas. There needs to be something anarchic and strange about it!]
It’s exciting shows like this that makes Apple the 14th hottest streaming service in America!
The other apps have other stuff besides their originals something Apple tv is lacking.
It feels like Justin Timberlake jumps between music and acting when he isn’t doing too well in one of them.
Maybe if his music career was going well he wouldn’t keep acting more and more. Dude can’t transform into a different character when he acts. You always think why is Justin Timberlake in this movie.
Wait are we supposed to hate Justin Timberlake now? I can’t keep up with your ever evolving list of enemies, AV Club!
They tried that after the Super Bowl fiasco, butit just would not stick. Compare that to Janet’s career since.
Hopefully this extended format will allow for a more in depth look at The Gong Show than Clooney gave us in the movie. Forget Timberlake, I wanna know who’s playing Jaye P Morgan and, more importantly, Gene Gene The Dancing Machine.
So, I may have started humming that tune and dancing at my desk when I read that, but no one saw me so you can’t prove it.
Leslie David Baker might be a little too old to play Gene Gene, but Milla Jovovich is the same age as Jaye P. Morgan.
Kenan Thompson for Gene Gene!
This seems to be an odd choice. Clooney’s movie was excellent with great casting and Clooney’s directing was top notch for a first time.
Just take a look at some of this:and this. Sorry for the junky quality, but it’s all I can find. Watch how Cloohey shoots the phone call.I cannot see the remake topping the movie.