Movies

Billy Crystal to direct, star with Tiffany Haddish in new comedy Here Today

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Published on September 4, 2019 10:48AM EDT

Billy Crystal; Tiffany Haddish — Photo: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images; David Livingston/Getty Images

Billy Crystal is ready to work with Tiffany Haddish.

Astute Films announced Wednesday the Golden Globe-nominated comedy legend will team up with the Girls Trip breakout star and comedienne for a new feature titled Here Today.

Crystal co-wrote the screenplay for the film with fellow Saturday Night Live alum Alan Zweibel (It’s Garry Shandling’s Show) — based on the latter’s 2011 short story The Prize — with Haddish in mind for a lead role.

Here Today is billed as a romantic comedy without the romance as it follows a veteran comedy writer named Charlie Berns (Crystal) who slowly loses his grip on reality before meeting a talented street singer, Emma Paige (Haddish, also a producer on the project alongside Crystal and Zweibel), with whom he starts a hilarious, touching, and grounding friendship with.

“I’m so grateful to get the chance to bring this charming and beautiful story to life,” Crystal said of the film in a press statement. “To write this with Alan was a joy, and to have Tiffany as my costar is fantastic. The generational differences in our comedy will be great to play with. She’s explosively funny and genuinely human at the same time. [I’m] excited to explore all our possibilities together.”

The project marks Crystal’s eighth time directing (his third on a feature film). He previously helmed movies like Mr. Saturday Night (1992) and the romantic comedy Forget Paris (1995). As an actor, he recently appeared in the Tribeca Film Festival standout Standing Up, Falling Down, while Haddish starred in last month’s ensemble dramedy The Kitchen alongside Melissa McCarthy and Elisabeth Moss.

A release date for Here Today has yet to be announced, though production is slated to begin this October in New York City.

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