I think a name like Wayne McClammy destines you to be either a comedy director or a character on Spongebob Squarepants.  McClammy chose the former, helming the viral Jimmy Kimmel Live segments “I’m Fucking Matt Damon” and “I’m Fucking Ben Affleck,” a slew of Sarah Silverman Program episodes, and was in talks to make his feature debut with Desperados.  Sadly, Universal never reached a deal with McClammy.  24 Frames reports that Betty Thomas (Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel) is next in line for the job and sources suggest she will accept the offer.

Desperados is described as a “female Hangover” in which three women travel to Las Vegas “to set right a situation that had one of the women leaving a scathing message for a man she actually likes.”  Isla Fisher is attached to star; the studio is currently looking to fill the other two lead roles.  The script by Ellen Rapoport (The Jamie Kennedy Experiment) landed on the Black List of Hollywood’s best unproduced screenplays two years ago.

Thomas has a spotty resume of late, but I like her hire if only because it’s always unfortunate when you have to put a man in charge of a distinctly female comedy from a fresh female voice.

A third Alvin and the Chipmunks film is coming.  December 16, 2011.  It’s inevitable, so let’s accentuate the positive.

First of all, the second film provided the greatest sequel subtitle of all time in The Squeakuel.  (I can’t wait to see what they come up with for number three.)  Despite this, Squeakuel director Betty Thomas passed on the director’s chair for the sequel.  Production is scheduled to start ten weeks from now, so 20th Century Fox is on the hunt for a new director.  24 Frames reports they may have found their man in Mike Mitchell.  His most recent work is the second-best-film-in-the-series Shrek Forever After, and he contributed to a pair of solid DreamWorks Animated projects in Monsters Vs. Aliens and Kung Fu Panda.  Search hard enough, and you’ll find Greg the Bunny on his resume.  There are many, many worse choices than Mitchell.  (Positive!)

Interestingly, the film was conceived for 3D, but Fox is now leaning toward a 2D production and release — the ultimate decision could be left up to the eventual director.  If Mitchell is hired, chooses 2D, and slaps a Squeakuel-worth title on the poster, I may actually have to see this thing.