Josh Gad has finally closed a deal to play legendary film critic Roger Ebert in "Russ & Roger." Gad joins Will Ferrell, as Russ Meyer, in the comedy, which Michael Winterbottom will direct. The movie tells the story behind 1970's "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," a satire comedy Ebert wrote and Meyer directed, which was one of the first X-rated flicks ever released by a major film studio, according to Variety.
"Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" was originally supposed to be a sequel to the 1967 film "Valley of the Dolls," but instead became a parody of the film.
"Russ & Roger" has been described as a debaucherous comedy centering on two outsiders who defied the Hollywood establishment, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Production on the film is set to start later this year.
Gad's involvement with the film was first rumored last winter before the project even had a director. The deal took months to make happen due to his busy schedule. He was most recently seen in "Pixels" with Adam Sandler, and he just finished filming the new live-action Disney film "Beauty and the Beast" starring Emma Watson.
