Ben Stiller unveiled 12 minutes from his new movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, at CinemaCon last week, and Deadline reports that it wowed the audience and is generating early Oscar buzz, whatever that means. Based on the 1947 Danny Kaye movie comedy, which itself was based on 1939 James Thurber story, Stiller’s version is a comedy-drama that turns Walter Mitty into a photo editor who lives vicariously through others via his wild imagination. Stiller directed, produced, and starred in the movie, which comes out this Christmas and also features Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn, Adam Scott, Patton Oswalt, Kathryn Hahn, and Shirley MacLaine. Before Stiller signed on, the movie spent nearly two decades bouncing from comedic actor to comedic actor, with Jim Carrey, Owen Wilson, Mike Myers, Will Ferrell, and Sacha Baron Cohen all attached at one point or another. Stiller told the audience at the screening that the movie has been “the most challenging and exciting and creative experience I have had making a movie†and that he was “happy and nervous†to show the movie to an audience. At least he only has eight more months of happiness/nervousness left ‘till the thing comes out and we see whether this Oscar buzz leads to any shiny prizes for Stiller and Co.
