In Development

Robin Williams + Teen Suicide = Comedy Gold With World’s Greatest Dad

Posted by Rob Hunter (rob@filmschoolrejects.com) on July 17, 2008

Robin Williams takes chances. Sure he makes pablum like RV, License to Wed, and Patch Adams, but he also takes creative risks with projects like The Night Listener, The Final Cut, and One Hour Photo. Even with those risks though you have to go back pretty far to find a great movie with Williams as the star… 1996’s The Birdcage, in case you’re curious.

Well you can’t say the man isn’t trying. Per IMDB, Williams has four feature films set for release in 2009. Make that five, as one more comedy was recently added to the mix… World’s Greatest Dad will star Williams as a single father whose son has recently passed away. Wait, it gets even funnier. The son died from autoerotic asphyxiation, which if you don’t know what that is feel free to Google it (or better yet, just email FSR’s Robert Fure.) Wanting to give his dead son some small amount of dignity, he writes a fake suicide note which then leaks to the public. Seems like a solid hybrid of family comedy and twisted drama.

Perhaps not surprisingly, this dark comedy will be written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, who previously birthed Shakes the Clown unto the world. If you haven’t seen Shakes yet, don’t. If you have, then I’m sorry to dredge up those memories again. Williams actually had a small role in the film as a character named Marty Fromage.