Mo’Nique wasn’t a major motion picture star when she portrayed Mary, one of the meanest mothers ever seen on the silver screen, in Precious. And she hasn’t shown much interest in acting ever since she walked away with Lee Daniels’ soul-crushing drama in 2009. But industry trackers pay close attention to any actor who earns a little gold man on Oscar night – as Mo’Nique did – so folks will want to know that the comedian and late-night talk show host is ready to get back in front of the cameras for another movie role.
Mo'Nique is negotiation for a role in the indie dramedy Bumped, where she would join the already cast Camilla Belle and Kellan Lutz, Variety says. In addition to wooing Mo’Nique, the film – directed by Stephen Herek (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure) – has signed Alex Gonzalez (Riptide in Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class), Gossip Girl star Katie Cassidy, and Xenia Siamas to the growing ensemble.
Bumped works from a Lizzy Weiss screenplay about strangers coming to grips with their differences as they face an interminable layover at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Weiss wrote the surfing drama Blue Crush back in 2002, but has worked mainly on television since. Her premise sounds like it could mix the best of Planes, Trains and Automobiles with The Breakfast Club, and it helps explain why Herek would want a broad range of talents to play characters from diverse backgrounds who could bring some spark to the situation.
Long layovers are the work of the devil, so Bumped is going to have to bring something extremely unique to the table to convince people to sit through one on screen. Adding Mo’Nique certainly guarantees flavor. Since she doesn’t have to work (her talk show is extremely successful), I’m glad she’s returning to feature film work, and heading in what sounds like the opposite direction from the depressing reality that was Precious.
