Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser, William H. Macy and Craig Robinson are in talks to star in the Elmore Leonard adaptation “Freaky Deaky,” according to Deadline.com.
Charlie Matthau (son of Walter Matthau), has written and will direct the film, which starts shooting later this month in Leonard’s hometown of Detroit.
“Freaky” centers on a group of ’60s radicals who, as the ’70s turn into the “Me” decade, start to use their knowledge of cheap, homemade explosives for money-making purposes.
Dillon will play the charismatic Chris Mankowski, Fraser will play hippie-turned-Hollywood stunt guy Skip, Macy’s role will be that of an alcoholic millionaire and Robinson will appear as an ex-Black Panther hoping to turn his once anti-establishment skills into an entrepreneurial opportunity.
Steven M. Berez is exec producing with Tom Ortenberg, while Donald Zuckerman, Michael Meltzer and Robert Cantrell are producing.
Leonard’s pulpy novels have acted as the basis for numerous Hollywood films before, including Quentin Tarantino’s “Jackie Brown,” Steven Soderbergh’s “Out of Sight” and Barry Sonnenfeld’s “Get Shorty.”
Oscar-nominee Dillon (“Crash”) was recently seen in “Takers.” Macy, who has been nominated for an Oscar (“Fargo”) and won an Emmy (“Door to Door”) can be seen on Showtime’s “Shameless.”
Robinson, Daryl from “The Office,” was recently seen in “Hot Tub Time Machine,” and will soon appear in Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Peebles.”
Fraser was last seen in “Extraordinary Measures” and “Furry Vengeance.” He and Dillon co-starred in “Crash” together.