HBO Develops ‘Band’ Comedy With Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Lizzy Caplan
EXCLUSIVE: HBO is teaming with Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez and actress Lizzy Caplan to develop a comedy series project based on actress/writer Julie Klausner’s memoir I Don’t Care About Your Band. The project is eyed as a potential starring vehicle for Caplan, who is coming off Starz’s cult comedy series Party Down. The book, a gritty but comedic look at what it’s like to navigate the dating world in your 20s, chronicles Klausner’s experiences from her preadolescent sexual awakenings through the unsavory details of sleeping with a gallery of losers throughout her 20s.
Gary Sanchez’s Owen Burke brought the book to the company’s Jessica Elbaum, who recently received an Emmy nomination for executive producing Ferrell’s You’re Welcome America HBO special. (She also exec produced the one-man Broadway play the special was adapted from from.) Elbaum started developing the project with Caplan. Gary Sanchez’ Ferrell, McKay, Chris Henchy and Elbaum will executive produce Band, with Caplan and Burke producing.
Band expands Gary Sanchez’ relationship with HBO. The CAA/WME-repped company produces HBO’s comedy series Eastbound & Down, which is returning for a second season. HBO also owns a stake in Gary Sanchez’s successful comedy web site Funny or Die, which spawned a Funny or Die-branded sketch comedy series on the pay cable channel.
Caplan, repped by CAA and Benderspink, also has a history with HBO where she recurred on True Blood. The actress recently completed Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours and indie Queens of Country. She got a lot of praise for her guest starring stint on the CBS comedy pilot Mad Love but declined to stay on as a regular on the show, which was picked up to series for midseason.
Jessica Elbaum is one of the hardest working, kindest people in town. Love seeing good things happen to good people!
Further confirms how good “Party Down” was: Jane Lynch, Adam Scott and Lizzy Caplan have all gone on to bigger and better things. The writing was also first-rate, had the show been on HBO it would have lasted seven or eight seasons. Lizzy is much prettier than the g-d awful photo above, BTW
There’s nothing wrong with the photo above, Tom. I think she looks very beautiful.
Great news because I love Caplan, but why pass up a network show to do another cable one?
A higher chance for surviving and little network interference.
Lizzy was also in this short ‘Successful Alcoholics’ that I saw at Sundance and has been making the festival rounds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovw5XiutrM
successful alcoholics aka the most painfully mediocre short at sundance
I love every single one of the people involved in this project; excellent to wake up to.
I read about the film Queens of Country that Lizzy is starring in and it sounded pretty cool:
http://www.ifc.com/blogs/indie-ear/2010/05/queens-of-country-lizzy-caplan-ron-livingston-and-tools-maynard-james-keenan.php
What a GREAT concept! Lizzy is one of the funniest comedic actresses around. Her delivery is right on time – I would watch this FOR SURE! Make it happen HBO cuz all you got now is True Blood – minus Lizzy. Heh.
You guys seem to forget how awesome Lizzy was in Mean Girls
I love Lizzy Caplan! She’s a chameleon! I loved her in Mean Girls and Party Down! And she scared the heck out of me on True Blood! I even loved that show she was in which shouldn’t have been canceled, about the 4 sisters? I can’t wait!
Her first role (that i saw at least) was in Orange County. (One of the frat party dancers). I love when talent like Lizzy rises and gets opportunities like this. And she’s good to the point where she doesn’t have to take everything that comes her way. She’s in demand and good enough that she can pick and choose her roles and this sounds like a good one. Love her. Great actress.