Movies

Mark Hamill Joins 'The Machine', Based On Bert Kreischer's Epic Stand-Up Comedy Bit

Bert Kreischer's The Machine Adds Mark Hamill
By Ethan Anderton

Now that Mark Hamill is mostly done playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars universe, he's really expanding his presence on the big and small screen. The second season of What We Do in the Shadows let him spread his wings as Jim the Vampire, and now Legendary Pictures has recruited him to co-star in The Machine, a new action comedy inspired by an epic stand-up bit by comedian Bert Kreischer.

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Mark Hamill will co-star with Bert Kreischer in The Machine, inspired by a supposedly true story where the comedian somehow accidentally got involved with the Russian mafia while studying abroad in college. If this is the first time you've heard of this bit, you're in for a treat. You can watch it in its entirety below:

It's easily Bert Kreischer's best stand-up bit, and it's been viewed online over 85 million times. The film is described as The Hangover meets Midnight Run, because it's not just an adaptation of this story. Instead, the mishap that Kreischer got into when he was younger comes back to bite him in the ass 20 years later when the Russian mob tracks him down and kidnaps his father, played by Mark Hamill.

After you watch the bit above, you'll see how this is a great starting point for a fun action comedy. Plus, it helps that Key & Peele and Keanu director Peter Atencio will be at the helm of the movie. He's shown great skill at capturing the vibe of 1990s action movies, both in sketch comedy form and the kitten-centric movie starring Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key.

The Machine will actually film in Serbia, which will lend some authenticity to the proceedings. Kreischer is producing along with Judi Marmel, but it's not clear who is behind the script. Obviously the story is Kreischer's but he doesn't have any feature screenplay experience, and neither does Peter Atencio. Maybe the script is still being finalized. Either way, Mark Hamill is already on his way across the globe, and he's mostly excited to be involved:

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