Paul Walter Hauser to star in "Press Your Luck" movie

[colonial]

https://variety.com/2024/film/global/paul-walter-hauser-press-your-luck-game-show-walton-goggins-johnny-knoxville-1235996972/

The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor will play Michael Larson in a big-screen version of his appearance on the 1980s game show.

I recall Bill Murray trying to put together a PYL movie way back when but nothing came of it.

Per the Protagonist Pictures website, the film has been completed and the company is looking to sell it globally. I know very little about this company, but one of its films, "Summer Camp" with Diane Keaton and Kathy Bates, will be released in U.S. theaters in the end of May.


JD

[Joe Mello]

So is the punchline that Johnny Knoxville plays the Whammy?

[SamPrainito]

I could see Johnny Knoxville as Peter Tomarken, especially if he plays it as the smarmy game show host stereotype.

[Matt Ottinger]

I could see Johnny Knoxville as Peter Tomarken, especially if he plays it as the smarmy game show host stereotype.

Joe's line is funny, but yeah, I bet Knoxville is playing the host.

From what I can tell, this sounds like it might be a slightly askew version of the story.  Or maybe even not so slightly.  Be prepared.

[Bob Zager]

Boy, I'm surprised that it is happening, after a long, long time first being talked about.  Some things that might be helpful--A much bigger hit prime-time show on ABC-TV, compared to a not-as-popular daytime hit on CBS-TV now approaching it's fortieth anniversary. 

This year marks 30 years since Quiz Show first hit theaters.  I hope it won't be "platformed," like QS was--opening in select cities one week, then more the following, and then nationwide!

[BrandonFG]

I could see Johnny Knoxville as Peter Tomarken, especially if he plays it as the smarmy game show host stereotype.

Whereas I saw Walton Goggins as Tomarken, but that might also be because he plays a host so well as Uncle Baby Billy.

Knowing what we know about the aftermath, this has the potential to be a story where you initially root for the protagonist, but he or she starts going off the deep end and you wonder what’s going on in their head.

[Joe Mello]

I could see Johnny Knoxville as Peter Tomarken, especially if he plays it as the smarmy game show host stereotype.

Whereas I saw Walton Goggins as Tomarken, but that might also be because he plays a host so well as Uncle Baby Billy.

I was thinking Goggins as well and maybe Knoxville as Ed, but based on the Variety article it sounds like the film will have a Bill Carruthers character or similar, so maybe Goggins goes there. Who knows?

[tyshaun1]

Virtually the entire cast is comprised of character actors. Like Matt said, and after reading the director's comments about the film, I'm expecting a very serialized take of Larson's story.

[Nick]

The makeup department did a wonderful job making Hauser look like Larson.

Can't help but notice the letters on the nametag should be bolder, though.

I bet Knoxville is playing the host.

Seems legit.  I'm glad to see they did not choose John Michael Higgins.

From what I can tell, this sounds like it might be a slightly askew version of the story.  Or maybe even not so slightly.  Be prepared.

Well, that's just it.  For its subject matter, the writers behind Quiz Show developed a plot out of more characters and events to fill around 130 minutes.  For the Michael Larson story, you have a guy who worked his way onto a game show and caused an hour of pandemonium across two episodes (and just by doing the same thing over and over again, which I'm not sure how you translate that to screen in any fashion aside from just watching a recreation of the game he played; and how do you make that interesting?).  He doesn't have a backstory that's in any way fascinating (He was underemployed, and instead of investing his time in more constructive pursuits such as job hunting, he watched too much TV, though I guess he managed to make it pay off for himself).  There really aren't other characters in this story (aside, I suppose, from his relatives who could tell you he was a bit of a slippery character, but they weren't involved in the event that made him infamous.  OK, maybe his opposing contestants, but they've got no role in this story aside from having sat there to lose to him doing what he did), so it seems like the only way you're going to have a plot for a film is to make up something.

Could work out, I suppose.  There are plenty of films "based on a true story", though taking too many liberties with the history and trying to claim historical ties is generally off-putting.

It's like the Perfect Bid thing to me.  It's an interesting story, but I don't think you have enough here for a feature-film treatment.  Still, I'm a bit interested to see what comes of it.

[TimK2003]

Looking at a random Johnny Knoxville photo, it wouldn't take much for him to assume the Tomarken role:

https://images.app.goo.gl/iHeq9PUr7xJ9oNoA7

[Dbacksfan12]

Can't help but notice the letters on the nametag should be bolder, though.

This is a ridiculous nit to pick.  Make sure you research the RBG code on the nametag for us to make sure that's 100% accurate too.

[BrandonFG]

The makeup department did a wonderful job making Hauser look like Larson.

Can't help but notice the letters on the nametag should be bolder, though.

It's a movie. The nametag shouldn't even be in your Top 100 things to look out for.

Well, that's just it.  For its subject matter, the writers behind Quiz Show developed a plot out of more characters and events to fill around 130 minutes.

Per the IMDb trivia/goofs sections for Quiz Show:

The movie shows Van Doren defeating Stemple [sic] the first time he appeared on 21, but actually they played for several weeks, tying games to build suspense.

Know why their match was only one scene? Because stretching it out would've made it close to three hours and your audience would've been bored.

The film's epilogue says that Charles Van Doren never returned to teaching after the Quiz Show scandal. In fact, he taught for several years until his retirement...

(snip)

Know why he lost his job in the movie? Because it sounds more dramatic that way.

For the Michael Larson story, you have a guy who worked his way onto a game show and caused an hour of pandemonium across two episodes (and just by doing the same thing over and over again, which I'm not sure how you translate that to screen in any fashion aside from just watching a recreation of the game he played; and how do you make that interesting?).  He doesn't have a backstory that's in any way fascinating (He was underemployed, and instead of investing his time in more constructive pursuits such as job hunting, he watched too much TV, though I guess he managed to make it pay off for himself). 

Vince Papale was a bartender who made his way onto an NFL team. Sounds pretty cut and dry, and yet they made a movie. 90% of the movie Rudy is about Rudy Ruettiger getting to play one down of a Notre Dame game. I'm sure they can find enough to pad this movie, esp. if they have the producers/CBS freaking out and trying to withhold money. Then the aftermath where Michael lets greed go to his head. I imagine the movie will have a darker tone.

This movie is not for the fanboys. Enjoy it for what it is and don't think too hard.

[MSTieScott]

Even Game Show Network realized that they couldn't spend all two hours analyzing Larson's time in the studio, and that was a game show documentary on a game show network.

I would expect that the main plot of the movie would be a dramatization of Larson's experiences leading up to his appearance on the show and the aftermath of what happened once he received the money. There's only so much drama you can wring out of executives watching helplessly as a contestant repeatedly lands on money plus a spin.

[Kevin Prather]

Can't help but notice the letters on the nametag should be bolder, though.

This is a ridiculous nit to pick.  Make sure you research the RBG code on the nametag for us to make sure that's 100% accurate too.

He probably hated Slumdog Millionaire because the money tree had the commas in the western format too.

[Nick]

It's a movie. The nametag shouldn't even be in your Top 100 things to look out for.

You are correct, but I happened to notice.  Just sayin'.

Know why their match was only one scene? Because stretching it out would've made it close to three hours and your audience would've been bored.

Indeed they would have been, and I made the same point when I asked what you do in lieu of recreating the game because it would not make for a good film.

This movie is not for the fanboys. Enjoy it for what it is and don't think too hard.

I know it's not for fanboys, and I never expected it to be.  Not sure what the condescending tone is about.

He probably hated Slumdog Millionaire because the money tree had the commas in the western format too.

Still haven't gotten around to watching that one.  Maybe someday...