Robert Downey Jr. is perhaps best known in the industry for his unforgettable and irrefutable contribution to the resurrection and success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has been called the “Godfather of MCU” for reasons that are self-explanatory and if not for his guiding hand in making the Marvel universe what it is today (with the help of Kevin Feige’s vision and Jon Favreau’s direction), we wouldn’t have been privy to one of the best-constructed narratives in the history of cinema.
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The Incredible Fall and Rise of Robert Downey Jr.
The veritably talented star of the silver screen, Robert Downey Jr. has never had it easily laid out for him. Even though born to one of the greatest directors of the 20th century, Robert Downey Sr., and having started out young, the actor succumbed to the influences of drugs and substances at an early stage of his life. And as such, the consequential impact started to encroach into his career.
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By the 90s, RDJ had been spiraling out of control and by the time he filmed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, he was on his way to hitting rock bottom. After a stint in the prison, the actor had begun to reform his lifestyle. But it wasn’t until Mel Gibson reached out to him in the early 2000s that he began to get a second chance at having a career in Hollywood. By 2008, Iron Man had premiered theatrically and the rest, as they say, is history.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Ensemble Comedy Remains Shelved
Eric Marlon Bishop, otherwise known as Jamie Foxx, is one of the funniest people in the industry and his eye for comedy is unparalleled. It was that talent that led him to bring together an assortment of Hollywood legends like Benicio del Toro, Robert Downey Jr., Gerard Butler, Jeremy Piven, and Eva Longoria to work in an ensemble wacky comedy film titled All-Star Weekend.
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The movie follows the story of two best friends, played by Piven and Foxx, who win tickets to the annual NBA game and on their road trip to LA meet several colorful, quirky, and over-the-top characters who end up upending their journey. However, the film which was shot in 2016 remains shelved because the script has a slim chance of surviving the contemporary socio-cultural reception.
One of the primary reasons is that Robert Downey Jr. plays a Mexican man whose characterization is inspired by Downey’s portrayal of the African-American man in Ben Stiller‘s 2008 action-comedy, Tropic Thunder. Moreover, Foxx allegedly portrays a racist white cop in one of his numerous roles.
The Cast Opens Up About the Fate of All-Star Weekend
The ensemble comedy remains stagnant through the years and it doesn’t seem like All-Star Weekend will get the go-ahead any time soon. The director of the film, Jamie Foxx, had recently spoken to CinemaBlend about the film being shelved and said,
“It’s been tough with the lay of the land when it comes to comedy. We’re trying to break open the sensitive corners where people go back to laughing again… We hope to keep them laughing and run them right into ‘All-Star Weekend’ because we were definitely going for it.”
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In the past, Jeremy Piven, one of Jamie Foxx’s closest acquaintances said on the Get Some With Gary Owen comedy podcast that the audience might probably never see the film since “Jaime doesn’t want to release it.” He further commented,
“It’s one of those things where Foxx is probably the most talented guy I’ve ever been around, known, heard of. He’s the funniest guy in the room. He can sing. There’s nothing Foxx can’t do. I had the time of my life… Foxx is really hard on himself. He’s one of these dudes, you know, he wants it to be perfect, so he’s been holding onto this thing for five years.”
Jamie Foxx’s latest action-comedy Daylight is now streaming on Netflix.
Source: CinemaBlend
