1 of 1 Chris Farley, John Candy, Sam Kinison and John Belushi expressed interest in the film “The Incomparable Atuk” and then died Photo: Disclosure Chris Farley, John Candy, Sam Kinison and John Belushi expressed interest in the film “The Incomparable “. Atuk’ and then they died Photo: Disclosure
John Belushi, Sam Kinison, John Candy and Chris Farley have more in common than the fact that they were comedians who died near the peak of their careers. The four’s names were linked to the same film, which was never released in theaters and became famous in Hollywood as “cursed.”
The idea of filming the book “The Incomparable Atuk” came about in the 1970s, but was never implemented. The novel by Canadian Mordecai Richler was published in 1963.
The incomparable Atuk of the title is the protagonist who feels like a fish out of water. The young man from the Inuit ethnic group (formerly called Eskimo) leaves his rural home and goes to Toronto, where he encounters characters and scenarios that influence the life of such a naive person.
Mordecai Richler (19312001) was nominated for an Oscar in 1975 for the screenplay for “The Great Con Man”. Two years later, he wrote the screenplay for Guess Who’s Coming to Steal, which was remade in 2005 with Jim Carrey in the lead role and a new title: The Madness of Dick & Jane.
2 of 1 John Belushi in “Clube dos Cafajestes” (1978) Photo: Disclosure John Belushi in “Clube dos Cafajestes” (1978) Photo: Disclosure
A screenplay based on Atuk’s story was written in the 1970s by Tod Carroll, former editor of the renowned humor magazine National Lampoon and a specialist in typically American nonsense comedies.
This text ended up in the hands of John Belushi, known for his roles on the show “Saturday Night Live” and in films such as “Clube dos Cafajestes” (1978) and “Os Irmãos Cara de Pau” (1980).
He was announced as the protagonist playing Atuk and filming for the film was scheduled to begin in 1982. However, Belushi died of an overdose at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles on March 5 of the same year at the age of 33.
In 1988, another aspiring comedian was interested in the role. Sam Kinison, who has appeared in standup shows and is the least known on this list, even took part in a few days of filming as Atuk.
According to Tod Carroll, Kinison and some members of the film crew began fighting. The protagonist didn’t like the film adaptation of the original script. “Creative differences” put “Atuk” in limbo. In 1992, Sam Kinison died in a car accident.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Time newspaper in 1999, the screenwriter was asked about the tragic coincidences, but he paid no attention to the curse speech. “I am not a superstitious person and it has no meaning for me. With the right actor and the right tone, it could have been a good film.”
The project was already considered cursed, but the power of the lyrics still caught the attention of another comedian. John Candy, Canadian like Atuk, was approached to readapt the novel.
However, on March 4, 1994, the actor of comedy classics such as Antes Só do que Mal Accompanied (1987) and Quem Vê Cara Não Vê Coração (1989) suffered a heart attack. He was 43 years old and filming a new film in Mexico.
3 of 1 Chris Farley in “Hardcore Ninja” (1997) Photo: Disclosure Chris Farley in “Hardcore Ninja” (1997) Photo: Disclosure
After Candy’s death, Chris Farley emerged as a possible heir. Farley was unveiled on Saturday Night Live and established himself in goofy comedies like Mong & Loide (1995) and A Hardcore Ninja (1997).
He wanted to take a new turn in his career and approached producers who wanted to revive the ‘Atuk’ project. Farley died in December 1997 as a result of an overdose in the American city of Chicago. Since then there have been no further discussions about the project.