Paramount has made a mid-six against seven-figure rights deal for "Curly Oxide and Vic Thrill," a film that will be scripted by Tina Fey for producers Lorne Michaels and John Goldwyn.
Fey will draw a comedy out of the true story of a Hasidic Jew and a grizzled rock musician who form a band.
"Curly" fulfills a script commitment deal she made with Par and the producers before the Fey-scripted "Mean Girls" became a sleeper hit ( Daily Variety, Feb. 24).
Fey will continue to serve as head writer for "Saturday Night Live" as well as the show's Weekend Update co-anchor when the sketch comedy show returns this fall.
Fey started what became a small stampede for rights to "Curly Oxide and Vic Thrill" when she heard a segment about the duo on National Public Radio. It is unclear whether she will write a role for herself.
"She heard the segment and responded to the story of a guy who knew nothing of someone else's culture, but suddenly gets caught up in it," Michaels said. "There are a lot of holes in the show's schedule where Tina can find time to write, and it's something she has proved she can do."
Curly Oxide is the stage name of the young Hasidic Jew who wandered into a Brooklyn bar where Vic Thrill drunkenly played his raucous music. Thrill struck up a conversation and a mutual interest in music led Thrill to invite his new friend to visit his nearby recording studio.
The duo began writing and performing music together, mingling their cultures in the playful lyrics.
Dealmaker Joel Gotler said the musician formerly known as Curly Oxide wants to keep his identity secret and did not take part in the deal.
Jill Messick will shepherd the film for Michaels.
Fey wasn't the only filmmaker to hear the NPR segment, but she was the first to get a studio bid behind her. Paramount entered into an exclusive negotiation for the material, locking out other studios. Thrill soon will be shopping for a book deal as well.
-- i got this from the link on that weekend update site- fallonandfey22 (i dont know the full url- its in my links) which led to this article on yahoo. knowing tina, this should be a great movie-- i just hope that its not R cuz then my parents probably won't let me see it...
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