Based on stories that have come from the set of the now defunked series Community, it’s hard to imagine Joel McHale wanting to have much to do with his former Co-Star Chevy Chase. He’s always had a reputation of being hard to work with and his attitude, according to many on the show, was toxic.
McHale won’t be working with the former SNL star this time around. Instead, he’ll be playing him during his heyday in the early years of National Lampoon.
The new film, from Will Forte and David Wain (creator of Wet Hot American Summer) , is called A Futile and Stupid Gesture in the story of National Lampoon co-founder Douglas Kenney. As he grew the Lampoon from a small magazine to a national brand that produced films like Animal House and Caddyshack, the weight of success took it’s toll, leading to drug and alcohol abuse.
When Kenney was at his lowest, Chevy Chase (one of if not his closest friend at the time) took him to Hawaii to cheer him up. Chase had to leave him there and return to LA for a couple of days of work, but before he could return, Kenney’s body was found at the bottom of a cliff.
If you’d like to learn more about the story before the film comes out on Netflix, check out the great documentary: National Lampoon: Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead.