‘Alexander’ Adds Jennifer Coolidge and Megan Mullally to Its ‘Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad’ Cast
Disney, seemingly undeterred by the length of its title, has began production on its adaptation of “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” And alongside this announcement comes one about the cast- specifically, that Jennifer Coolidge and Megan Mullally will be joining the cast alongside Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner as Alexander’s parents, and newcomer Ed Oxenbould as Alexander himself.
Coolidge and Mullally aren’t exact known for their family-friendly fare. Even with her Guest-work, Coolidge’s most enduring role is the sex-hungry Stifler’s Mom in American Pie, while Mullally is remembered most for her turn as the shrill-voiced Karen Walker on Will and Grace. If I had to guess (and I don’t have to, but I will anyway), these two might show up in Alexander for a slightly more adult wink-and-nod toward the grownups in the audience.
And the film’s synopsis hints at how Alexander, which like most children’s books can be read in the span of a few minutes, will be stretched into a full-length feature. This comes from the back end of the synopsis: “[Alexander] soon learns that he’s not alone when his brother, sister, mom and dad all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Anyone who says there is no such thing as a bad day just hasn’t had one.”
So it looks like we’ll be seeing a family adventure where said family experiences a comically unbelievable string of bad luck. A set photo from Coming Soon seems to confirm that theory, as the family car has either just unexpectedly exploded or all five cast members happen to have a crippling fear of car doors.
And in the coming months before its October 10, 2014 release, it’ll be curious to see how Disney advertises a film when half the space of each poster (and half the time of every TV spot) is devoted solely to that behemoth of a title. [ The Hollywood Reporter]
