After weeks of searching, New Line Cinema will produce the Chris Farley biopic which will star Paul Walter Hauser as the comedian. In mid-April, Hauser explained that he wanted to work on a project related to the late comedian. The project, A Chris Farley Show, was more than wishful thinking since it has actual backing from the entertainment industry. This includes SNL creator Lorne Michaels, who worked with Farley on the show and will be producing the film under his Broadway Video company.

The film also has actor and comedian Josh Gad (Frozen, The Book of Mormon, and Central Park) directing the picture, making it his first time in the director’s chair. Farley’s family has also consented to allow this film’s development.

According to Deadline, the newest update reveals that New Line Cinema, a branch at Warner Brothers, officially acquired the film on April 30. This makes it the second film to be acquired by the company this week, the other being the Avengelyne comic book film adaptation.

The film is based on the book The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts by Tanner Colby and Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will write the screenplay for the film.

The film will focus on Farley’s career, specifically his start at SNL, which was going through a revival process at the time of his arrival. His breakout in skits such as motivational speaker Matt Foley (“living in a van down by the river”), would propel him into the film industry, starring in blockbusters like Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, and Beverly Hills Ninja. 

However, Farley was someone plagued by addiction and although he would be sober during parts of his career, he would eventually relapse. The film would go over this period of his life and eventually lead to his drug overdose and death in 1997.

A film with this caliber of drama is not new to Hauser, as some of his biggest projects were biographical pieces on real-life events and people. The biggest project was his performance in Richard Jewell, in which he played a security guard who saved lives from a bombing at the 1996 Olympics, but was then pursued by the FBI as a prime suspect for the bombing.

While the Farley biopic is in its beginning phase, fans of the late comedian will be able to see his life and legacy on the big screen once more.