Sometimes, it takes a little star power to get your film back on track.
Jake Gyllenhaal might be shedding his action star image for "The Way, Way Back," a project written and directed by the guys behind the George Clooney family dramedy "The Descendants."
This original script focuses on a teenager and one transformative summer that helps him learn how to deal with his effed-up family, which includes a bully of a stepdad.
Obviously, Gyllenhaal is way past his "Donnie Darko" days, so it seems likely that he'll play the crappy stepfather. It'll definitely be interesting to see Gyllenhaal shift his normal tormented vibe to that of a tormentor.
Actors and writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash will also direct the film, despite the many names that have been attached in the past. Of course, the critical success of "The Descendents" is also a nice blast of wind beneath their wings. "Descendents" stars George Clooney as the put-upon dad who's dealing with the aftermath of his wife's boating accident and the family secrets he finds out along the way. Alexander Payne ("Sideways") directs the Hawaii-set flick and was once attached to direct "The Way, Way Back," as was Shawn Levy.
Not that it's a factor in getting the movie made, but it's worth nothing that Rash plays the incredibly awesome Dean Pelton in "Community." Take a peek below at Rash's mad karaoke skills in this clip from' the show with Joel McHale.
