For three weird and wondrous seasons, author Jonathan Ames funneled his intellectual crises, detective fantasies, and urban ennui into the bizarre misadventures on HBO's Bored to Death. There Ames' alter-ego Jonathan (Jason Schwartzman) played private—though unprofessional—dick while balancing a career as a writer and cavorting with his playboy boss George (Ted Danson), and comic book artist bestie Ray (Zach Galfianakis). But their adventures were cut short just after Jonathan (spoilers ahead) discovered the identity of his birth father…and that he was banging his sister (Isla Fisher).
It was a supremely uncomfortable way to end the series, which sort of worked considering the show's characters seem ever-drawn to awkward situations. But earlier this year talk emerged about a Bored to Death movie. So Vulture asked the real-life Ames about where this might lead. First up, when it comes to the fictional Jonathan's sister, Ames imagines she'd be in a sanitarium following the revelation of their accidental incest. Though he's hopeful she'll "get over it" eventually. As to how this revelation is affecting Jonathan in the long run, Ames offers:
"Jonathan is very affected by it in the movie — I won't say how or why, but [the movie takes place] a few years later. It's not entirely the plan for the fourth season, because it's like cupcakes to cake with the movie. I have to think of the people who've never seen any of this before, so I don't want to do a lot of tying off of things for the more dedicated fan. There will be some of that."
We've also heard that Jonathan will become a cop, and Ray and George will be roomies. But unfortunately for fans, Ames has no hard deadline concerning this screenplay. He also admits, "I don't know what kind of budget we'll have, it might still be small." Though he has some ambitious homages in mind he's reluctant to hint at just yet, he clarifies, "Obviously I want a good story, but so much of the charm of the show was anecdotal, them just talking. So that's the challenge, and I hope I can pull it off for 90 minutes."
How far is he into drafting this screenplay? Well, he's pitched the basic plot outline to HBO, but says:
"Basically what I'm doing right now is gathering all of my notes. I carry around these little notebooks, and I would write down images I wanted, snippets of dialogue, funny notions, character arcs, all very scattered… I type all that up, and then I figure, 'How do I string all this together?' I had to pitch it, so I know the structure of the movie, but I want to be open to change it in case something better comes along."
So, the Bored to Death movie is coming. Eventually. Probably. Hopefully.
