
A new Between Two Ferns is always cause for celebration, and this latest installment is among the best. It begins like most Between Two Ferns: Zach Galifianakis makes deadpan insults towards his guest (in this case James Franco), but then it turns into the music video for the new Lonely Island single, “Spring Break Anthem”, which is appropriately in the style of Spring Breakers but also supports gay marriage. And because The Lonely Island–which is comprised of Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg–likes to embrace the random, Edward Norton co-stars in this excellent sketch/music video.
Hit the jump to check out the music video. The Lonely Island’s new album, The Wack Album, will be released on June 11th.
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YouTube has announced the first-ever Comedy Week, set to take place May 19-25. YouTube has recruited an impressive roster of outside talent, including Vince Vaughn, Rainn Wilson, Sarah Silverman, Michael, The Lonely Island, Seth Rogen, Tim and Eric, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, Norm Macdonald, and Craig Robinson. The week also has room for YouTube mainstays like Ryan Higa, Smosh, Epic Meal Time, Rhett & Link, and Epic Rap Battles of History.
The event kicks off with a live variety show on May 19, followed by “a week of dedicated programming that includes live performances, new episodes from popular YouTube comedy channels, curated top ten lists from comedy stars and more.” Hit the jump for the press release with all the details and the full list of participating talent.
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New Line has picked up the action-comedy pitch Spy Guys. Jorma Taccone (MacGruber) is attached to direct from a script by Adam Sztykiel (Due Date). The story centers on a framed CIA agent who becomes an enemy of the state while attending a friend’s European wedding. The spy reveals his undercover identity to his civilian friends, and they go on the run to clear his name. That’s a solid premise, and it is encouraging that the skewed mind behind MacGruber is in charge. Plus it is nice to see Taccone get a second chance after his feature directorial debut failed to gross even $10 million worldwide in 2010.
Heat Vision reports that Taccone’s Lonely Island collaborators Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer will produce along with John Rickard (Horrible Bosses).

With director Lee Toland Krieger‘s romantic comedy/drama Celeste and Jesse Forever opening today, I recently got to sit down with Andy Samberg for an extended video interview. In the film, Samberg stars with Rashida Jones as a divorcing couple who are having trouble maintaining their intense friendship while living together and pursuing other relationships. In addition, Jones co-wrote the script with Will McCormack, and it’s a great mix of realistic comedy and drama. It’s definitely recommended.
Anyway, if you’re a fan of Andy Samberg, you’re about to be very happy. During my exclusive interview we talked about his entire career, what’s coming up, and so much more. Some of the subjects we covered were Saturday Night Live, whether he’ll still do any digital shorts, Sundance, Hot Rod (and why it’s out of print on Blu-ray?!), getting to do “Get in the Cage” with Nicolas Cage, his upcoming BBC3 TV series, Cuckoo, the future of The Lonely Island and if they would ever tour, Arrested Development, and we even talked about Lord of the Rings. Hit the jump to watch.
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With director Lee Toland Krieger‘s romantic comedy/drama Celeste and Jesse Forever opening this weekend, I recently got to sit down with Andy Samberg for an extended video interview. In the film, Samberg stars with Rashida Jones as a divorcing couple who are having trouble maintaining their intense friendship while living together and pursuing other relationships. In addition, Jones co-wrote the script with Will McCormack, and it’s a great mix of realistic comedy and drama. It’s definitely recommended.
Since my interview with Samberg was almost twenty minutes, I decided to break it up into two parts. In today’s edition, Samberg talks about the status of The Lonely Island, why they haven’t toured, will they make a third record, what’s the origin of the “Wanna Come With” sketch on Saturday Night Live and how close did it get to airing, and what was it like to do “Get in the Cage” with Nicolas Cage on SNL. Hit the jump to watch.
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Opening this weekend is director Akiva Schaffer’s (Hot Rod) sci-fi comedy The Watch (previously titled Neighborhood Watch). The film stars Vince Vaughn,Jonah Hill, Ben Stiller and Richard Ayoadeas a group of neighbors who form a local neighborhood watch group and end up stumbling onto an alien plot to destroy the world. The film also stars Billy Crudup, Will Forte, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Nicholas Braun. For more on the film, here’s the latest trailer, a red band trailer, an outtake reel, and all our previous coverage.
The other day I got to sit down with Schaffer for an extended interview. As a fan of Hot Rod, his digital shorts on SNL, and The Lonely Island, it was one of those interviews that I was really looking forward to. Thankfully, Schaffer was willing to talk about anything, and during our wide ranging conversation we talked about how The Watch came together, directing such a great cast, deleted scenes, and what will be on the eventual Blu-ray. In addition, I asked why the Hot Rod Blu-ray is out of print, if the digital shorts will continue now that Andy Samberg has left SNL, and whether The Lonely Island will ever tour or do any sort of concert. Hit the jump for what he had to say.
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The raunchy and outrageous comedy That’s My Boy tells the story of Donny Berger (Adam Sandler), an aimless loser who knocked up his smoking hot teacher when he was a teenager, and was left to raise their love child even though he was completely unprepared to be a parent. Now, 30 years later, Todd (Andy Samberg) is all grown up and a successful Wall Street executive who hasn’t seen his father in years. But, with Donny owing tens of thousands to the IRS, he figures that tracking down his son will not only give him the chance to ask for the money he needs to stay out of jail, but to also finally bond with his son.
At the film’s press day, actor Andy Samberg spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about how he came to be playing the son of Adam Sandler and Susan Sarandon, how much of the comedy was on the page when he initially read it, and keeping the heart with all of the R-rated humor. He also talked about the news that he has officially left Saturday Night Live after seven seasons, what that conversation with executive producer Lorne Michaels was like, his hopes to continue contributing to the show, where he’d like to go next with his career, making another Lonely Island album, how uncomfortable his tight white shorts were for Grown Ups 2, who he’s playing in The To Do List, how excited he is for the release of the animated feature Hotel Transylvania, and the cupcakes at the Magnolia Bakery in New York. Check out what he had to say after the jump.
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This weekend is the press junket for the raunchy and outrageous comedy That’s My Boy, in which Adam Sandler plays Donny Berger, the screw-up who became a teenage parent when his smoking hot teacher gave birth to his child while in jail. While Collider was there, we got the opportunity to do an exclusive interview with actor Andy Samberg about how he got involved with the film, how much fun he had on set, and what it was like to have Adam Sandler and Susan Sarandon playing his parents.
We’ll run what he had to say about the film closer to its June 15th release, but we did want to share what he had to say about the news that he has officially left Saturday Night Live, what made now the right time, how difficult the decision was, what that conversation with executive producer Lorne Michaels was like, and his hopes to continue contributing to the show, in some way. Also talked about where he’d like to go next with his career, making another The Lonely Island album, how uncomfortable his tight white shorts were for Grown Ups 2, who he’s playing in The To Do List, and how excited he is for the release of the animated feature Hotel Transylvania. Check out what he had to say after the jump.
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With the massive success of Glee, it was only a matter of time before creator Ryan Murphy brought a musical to the big screen. Deadline reports that Murphy has lined up Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon, Cameron Diaz, Beyonce, and Andy Samberg to star in the musical comedy One Hit Wonders. Murphy will direct and co-write the script with his Glee co-creators Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. The story “centers on three singers (Paltrow, Witherspoon, and Diaz) who each scored a top hit song in the 1990s before watching their careers go down the drain, and then team up to form a super-group.” Samberg, in addition to co-starring, will reportedly write music for the film with his The Lonely Island partners Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer.
Hit the jump for my thoughts on the project.
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The first trailer for MacGruber has hit the net and thankfully it’s red band. What that means is… the Rogue Pictures comedy starring Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Powers Boothe, Maya Rudolph and Val Kilmer doesn’t have to hold back the jokes or the dialogue.
While some of you might be thinking a full length movie based on the SNL character is a dumb idea, I’ve spoken to friends who read the script and they all raved about it. Also, MacGruber is directed by Jorma Taccone (Hot Rod) and he does all the SNL Digital Shorts and he’s part of The Lonely Island along with Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer. What I’m trying to tell you is…give this film a chance. Also, this is the first movie to use the term upper decker. That makes this must see. If you don’t know what it is…
Watch the trailer and tell me you didn’t laugh. Also, we’ve been given a few new high resolution images so take a look:
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