Indie movies are a sure fire way to get niche projects done. Better yet, they can come out exactly the way the creator wanted it to. They're getting made all the time while these other AAA blockbusters soak up all the sun. But the appeal of an indie movie is that Hollywood's top brass get a chance to shine in a more subdued, folk heavy environment.
Jenny Slate and Jack Black are starring together in The Polka King. Variety scooped the story saying that the Black produced movie is based on the 2009 documentary The Man Who Would be Polka King. The movie will follow Pennsylvania polka sensation Jan Lewan who got his fans to invest in a Ponzi scheme. Maya Forbes and Wolodarsky wrote and directed the script. The cast also includes Jason Schwartzman, Jacki Weaver, Vanessa Bayer, and J.B Smoove.
On a more personal front, Zoe Lister-Jones recently finished what Hollywood Reporter is calling her passion project. She did everything from writing to directing and even producing. Oh and she starred in it too. And she wrote the songs? Jeez, calm down girl. The movie is called Band Aid and also stars Adam Pally and Fred Armisen. The story follows a couple on the brink of divorce after a miscarriage but they decide to turn their fights into rock songs, forming a rock band to save the marriage. Casting includes a ton of comedy and television favorites like Hannah Simone, Brookyln Decker, Chris D'Elia, Jesse Williams, Susie Essman, Ravi Patel, Erinn Hayes, Jamie Chung, Jerry O'Connell, Retta, Majandra Delfino, and Angelique Cabral. Wow, Lister-Jones sure did stack this cast.