Latest in Ben Schwartz

It has been about eight years since Billy Crystal toplined a feature film, 2012’s Parental Guidance, but now he’s back and going all indie on us in the modest but touching Standing Up, Falling Down. Even though this story doesn’t center on Crystal’s character, an alcoholic dermatologist named Marty, this fine human…

OK, so I confess I wouldn’t know Sonic the Hedgehog from Sonic the Hedgefund. Nor do I really care about a film version about a 1990s video game sensation and a speed demon character that hits 265 mph while basically taking a stroll. So take this all with a grain of salt: Sonic the Hedgehog  isn’t my thing, but it coul…

John Malkovich (The New Pope), Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation, House of Lies), Diana Silvers (Booksmart, MA) and Tawny Newsome (Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Brockmire) are set as series regulars opposite Steve Carell in Space Force, Netflix’s new workplace comedy from the former Office star and The Office…

EXCLUSIVE: How I Met Your Mother alum Alyson Hannigan and Ben Schwartz from TV’s Parks and Recreation have signed on for lead roles in Flora & Ulysses, the film adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s novel, Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures. Set to stream on the upcoming Disney+ platform, the film is being helmed…

There’s a wonderful reminiscence in Matt Ratner’s dramedy Standing Up, Falling Down to the Henry Winkler-directed 1988 dramedy Memories of Me: Yes, both star Billy Crystal, however, both pics pair younger and older generations of comedy. Memories of Me starred Crystal as a responsible middle age guy who tries to mend…

The second season of Disney Channel’s DuckTales doesn’t hatch for another month, but the cable net today renewed it for Season 3. Watch the announcement video above. The series follows the highflying adventures of Duckburg’s most famous trillionaire Scrooge McDuck (voiced by Doctor Who alum David Tennant); his…

In a gender switch from the original British series, Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street) is set as a lead opposite Ben Schwartz in The Wrong Mans, Showtime’s remake of the UK comedy that was created by and starred James Corden & Matthew Baynton. The U.S. version hails from The Late Late Show host Corden, Baynton, J.J…

EXCLUSIVE: Screen Media has acquired U.S. rights to Blue Iguana, the comedy written and directed by Hadi Hajaig that stars Sam Rockwell, Ben Schwartz and Phoebe Fox. The company plans a day-and-date release this year sometime in the third quarter. The deal comes with Rockwell a frontrunner to win the Best Supporting…

Nickelodeon has set the voice cast for its new 2D-animated series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, slated to premiere in 2018 on the Viacom-owned net. The reimaging follows brothers Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello and Michelangelo on new adventures as they seek to unlock the mystical secrets of New York City. Oma…

EXCLUSIVE: Comedy giant Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz have signed on to star in We Are Unsatisfied, a comedy being helmed by first-time director Matt Ratner. Written by Peter Hoare (CBS’ Kevin Can Wait), the film follows the unlikely friendship between a struggling L.A. comedian (Schwartz) who’s forced to move back…

In a very competitive situation involving a four-way bidding, CBS has landed Things You Should Already Know, an ensemble single-camera comedy about millennials from Ben Schwartz (House Of Lies), Laura Moses, Gary Sanchez Prods. and CBS TV Studios. The project is part of a first-look deal Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's…

With Funny or Die’s The Earliest Show, Parks and Recreation alum Ben Schwartz finds himself amongst a venerable group of comedians venturing out as creators in the short-form space, though for Schwartz in particular, this is nothing new. A well-known presence at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and other venues…