That’s right, Sam Kinison, he of the atomic bellow, will be immortalized in a Major Motion Picture with the help of Ace Ventura and Bruce Almighty director Tom Shadyac and the screenwriters who brought you American Splendor (a gem, by the way, for which Paul Giamatti was screwed out of an Oscar nomination).

I hope the film does justice to Kinison’s rocky Christian walk — he was a Pentecostal preacher who never completely abandoned the faith. Given that Shadyac is a Christian himself, this should prove very interesting.

Now to the casting: not — NOT — Jim Carrey. He pulled off Andy Kaufman but he is all wrong for Kinison. I’m thinking a non-comedian. A fattened-up Jeremy Piven? Hmmm … OK, don’t yell, but, maybe, just maybe … Johnny Depp? No, no — it was a mistake. I know it was wrong even as I was typing — I’M SORRY! I’m SORRY! FORGET I EVEN MENTIONED HIM! SHEESH!

Kevin James? I know I said no comedians — oh I give up. They can cast Clint Eastwood for all I care …

Via Peter Chattaway

UPDATE: Turns out the role has, indeed, been cast: Sam Kinison will be played by … Dan Fogler. (crickets) Actually, he was pretty funny in a very silly but sometimes choke-on-your-own-tongue high-sterical Balls of Fury. It’s worth renting just for Christopher Walken, who appears to be doing an imitation of Kevin Spacey doing Christopher Walken doing a cross between Mr. Miyagi and David Lo Pan.