This is getting out of hand. Yesterday’s news brought the first teaser for pseudo-prequel Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and confirmation that much of the original 2001 film’s cast — including Elizabeth Banks, Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, and a host of other big names — will return for the Netflix series. Now it appears that they’ll be joined by some other familiar faces, with another quartet of big names rumored to be joining the project.
According to Deadline, the already ludicrous list of comedic star power will get even more impressive with the additions of Mad Men star Jon Hamm, Chris Pine (Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness), Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, The Grand Budapest Hotel), and newly announced Ghostbusters star and SNL alum Kristen Wiig.
The original film was a super-spoof of 80’s movies that chronicled the final day of camp at Camp Firewood, a fictional Jewish summer camp, set in 1981. The upcoming series will be a prequel of sorts that explores the beginning of the momentous outing at Camp Firewood, with the teaser, well, teasing a focus on the first day of camp. And if the cast is any indication of the quality of the series itself, we could be in for something great.
The four new cast members will join Banks, Cooper, Rudd, and Poehler, along with a mile-long list of comedic talent including Michael Ian Black, Judah Friedlander, Janeane Garofalo, Joe Lo Truglio, Ken Marino, Christopher Meloni, Marguerite Moreau, Zak Orth, David Hyde Pierce, Molly Shannon, and Michael Showalter.
Regarding the characters played by these new additions to the cast, rumors suggest Schwartzman and Wiig will play counselors at either Camp Firewood (the setting for the original film) or the dubious rival camp, Camp Tigerclaw. Hamm’s role is described as a “secret spy,” while Pine’s role is unknown at this point.
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp is expected to debut this summer on Netflix. Much like the 2001 movie, the limited series is co-written by David Wain and Michael Showalter, and will be directed by Wain.
