You can't talk about Chris Farley without remembering the first time he flattened a room with laughter. Whether it was falling through a coffee table as Matt Foley or grinding through a Chippendales audition opposite Patrick Swayze, Farley embodied a chaos that felt both dangerous and comforting. Nearly three decades after his death, Hollywood is finally circling back to that energy—this time with Paul Walter Hauser stepping into the shoes of the late Saturday Night Live force of nature.
Josh Gad, better known for voicing snowmen and Broadway showstoppers, is directing A Chris Farley Story—his directorial debut. Announced in 2024 when Warner Bros. and New Line snapped up the rights, the film has inched forward with a cautious but steady momentum. Gad recently told Entertainment Weekly that the project is “ambitious as hell,” with budget negotiations ongoing but the plan still pointing toward an early 2026 shoot.
The script comes from Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (500 Days of Summer, The Disaster Artist), and it adapts The Chris Farley Show, a biography written by Farley's brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby. Lorne Michaels—yes, the same producer who gave Farley his SNL stage—is producing alongside Erin David. Crucially, the Farley family has given the film their blessing, something not every comedy legend's estate has offered when Hollywood comes knocking.
That doesn't erase the uphill climb. Farley was bigger than life—literally and spiritually—and biopics about comedians rarely land with the same force as their subjects. They can tilt toward hagiography or, worse, tragedy porn. Gad himself seems to know the risks, describing the film as a “period piece” that demands scale but also a budget “greenlight-able” enough to satisfy the studio.
Then there's Hauser. At 38, the actor already has a shelf full of roles that required transformation—his chilling turn in I, Tonya, his slow-burn portrait in Clint Eastwood's Richard Jewell, and his Emmy-winning performance in Apple TV+'s Black Bird. Hauser isn't a mimic; he's a digger. He'll need to burrow into Farley's physicality, yes, but more importantly into the desperation that fueled it. Because Farley wasn't just funny—he was volatile, tender, self-destructive, and, at times, heartbreaking. That's not an impression; that's a balancing act.
And Gad? The verdict is still out. A first-time director taking on a story this charged is either foolhardy or fearless. Maybe both. But if the film really does roll cameras in 2026, it'll face scrutiny not just from fans who adored Farley but from an industry that has historically struggled to capture the lives of comedians without sanding off their rough edges.
Farley died in December 1997 at just 33 years old, leaving behind a legacy of fearless comedy and a cautionary tale of excess. Nearly thirty years later, the question remains: can a Hollywood biopic really pin down what made him great without reducing him to a punchline or a tragedy?
What to Keep in Mind About the Chris Farley Biopic
Josh Gad's First Directing Gig
The Frozen star is making his directorial debut, a bold move for a project that demands both comic energy and dramatic weight.
Paul Walter Hauser Steps Into the Role
Hauser has the range and credibility, but Farley's physicality and spirit will test even his proven skills.
Family-Backed Script
The screenplay is adapted from a biography by Farley's brother, giving the film a rare authenticity that similar projects often lack.
Ambitious but Costly Production
Described as a “period piece,” the film's budget is still being reined in before a final green light is given.
Early 2026 Shoot Targeted
If plans hold, cameras will roll early next year, nearly three decades after Farley's untimely death in 1997.
So here we are: a studio-approved biopic of one of comedy's most combustible talents, shepherded by a first-time director and anchored by an actor who's already proven he can do the heavy lifting. Does it sound risky? Absolutely. But then again, so did letting a 300-pound man fling himself through furniture on live television. And look how that turned out.
Would you watch a Chris Farley biopic on opening night, or does Hollywood risk turning his life into just another sad punchline?
