EXCLUSIVE: Comedian Katt Williams is boarding Adam Rifkin’s trippy road-trip comedy Toad opposite James Paxton (Twisters) and Oliver Wyman (Feeling Randy).
The pic follows two dudes who are hired by terrifying crime boss, Charles (Craig Robinson), to transport a box of contraband psychedelic toads from L.A. to Vegas. When the soaring desert temperatures cause the toads to suffer heatstroke, the two imbeciles are inadvertently dosed when they give the toads CPR and suddenly find themselves on a hallucinogenic odyssey.
Williams will play Earl, a cigar-chomping, human-size anthropomorphic toad who may or may not be a figment of the boys’ imaginations. Earl pops up at key points along their journey to give them unsolicited but much-needed advice and philosophical wisdom.
Says Rifkin:”Katt Williams is not only the funniest man on the planet, he’s a latter-day prophet with a voice that resonates across generations. His ability to channel raw truth, humor and humanity is unparalleled, and I believe his performance will be nothing short of transformative. Considering Earl is the oracle of our story, I can’t think of a more perfect actor to portray him than Katt, a real-life prophet who walks among us.”
Producer Brad Wyman says: “Katt Williams is my hero. I raised my two sons on Katt’s comedy. I’m never star struck and I’m never speechless, but when I met Katt, I could barely form a sentence. I’m still pinching myself that Katt Williams is going to be in our film.”
Adds David Fuhrer, President of the Laugh Factory: “We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Katt Williams, one of the most brilliant and fearless voices in comedy joining our first feature film, Toad. This film represents everything the Laugh Factory stands for: bold, boundary-pushing humor that connects people through laughter. Partnering with Adam Rifkin and this incredible cast allows us to showcase not just comedy’s power to entertain, but its ability to tell outrageous, unforgettable stories.”
As Deadline first told you, the movie is the first to be produced under the Laugh Factory Presents banner, a new features shingle led by Fuhrer and Laugh Factory founder Jamie Masada.
The movie was co-written by Piers Ashworth (Bank of Dave 1 & 2) and Rifkin. The pic is being produced by future III Entertainment Corporation’s Wyman (Monster) and Michael P.J. Gerstein (Last Train to Fortune), as well as producer Mike Kolko.
Rifkin’s features include the acclaimed Burt Reynolds swansong The Last Movie Star, Mousehunt, Detroit Rock City and the recently wrapped western Last Train to Fortune, which stars Malcolm McDowell, James Paxton, Mary Steenburgen, Bernadette Peters and Laura Marano.
Calum Gray and Max Pirkus will be handling global sales from their newly formed UK company, Architect, with EP Mark O’Sullivan at DLNQNT. Cameras for Toad roll in March.