Michael Keaton is not only returning to his iconic role as Batman in the upcoming The Flash, now Deadline is reporting that Keaton is going back to his comedic roots in a similar role that got Batman purists to literally protest his initial casting in the first place. Keaton’s reputation for being a goofball in silly comedies such as Mr. Mom initially led fans to think his being placed in the Batman role meant that the studio was not taking the property seriously. How wrong they were!
Keaton will be starring in Goodrich. The synopsis reads, “Set in contemporary LA during the holidays, the film tells the story of art dealer Andy Goodrich (Keaton), a man whose life is upended when his younger second wife leaves him and enters a 90-day rehab program while also threatening divorce. Goodrich takes charge of their nine-year-old twins, thrusting him into the world of modern parenthood for which he is deeply unprepared. With his career falling by the wayside, he leans on his grown and pregnant daughter Grace for support, and ultimately evolves into the father Grace never had.”
Hallie Meyers-Shyer of the film Home Again will be taking on the writing and directing duties. It is now being reported that C2 Motion Picture Group’s Jason Cloth and David Caplan is set to finance and produce the film. They will be joined in association with Stay Gold Features with Daniela Taplin Lundberg joining the producing duties along with Kevin Mann. Amy Pascal, from Sony, is set to executive produce alongside Keaton himself.
Meyers-Shyer says of the film, “Goodrich is an homage to the films of the 70’s and 80’s that brilliantly melded comedy with drama, films directed by greats like Mike Nichols and James L. Brooks. I wrote this film for the incomparable Michael Keaton , and I can’t wait for audiences to see Michael back in the genre where we all fell in love with him.”
Keaton started his career as a stand-up comic before venturing into TV and films with comedies such as Working Stiffs, Night Shift, Mr. Mom, and Beetlejuice.