Aziz Ansari To Direct Bill Murray In Quality Of Life Comedy-Drama For Searchlight Pictures

Aziz Ansari has already made his mark on the small screen, as part of the beloved Parks & Rec cast, then as an Emmy winner for his hit Netflix series, Master of None. but now he’s ready to do his thing on the big screen, and what a way to start than by casting Bill Murray in the lead role?

Searchlight Pictures has announced that Ansari will make his directorial debut with a comedy drama based on Atul Gawande’s non-fiction book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. The book is an exploration of death, quality of life for the elderly and infirm, and how to a person’s last few weeks or months of life can be lived with dignity. Gawanda is a practicing surgeon.

Murray has been set to star in the film but his role is unclear. Will he play a version of Gawanda? Probably not. Maybe someone who is dying or is watching a loved one pass? Either way, it sounds like poignant stuff, but with Ansari also on the script it will definitely have plenty of humor. Ansari will have a role in the film, as well.

Ansari’s untitled film will be released in 2023.

 

Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.