Zach Galifianakis To Star In "A Confederacy of Dunces," Report Says

Zach Galifianakis could be taking on the role of Ignatius J. Reilly in a feature-film version of A Confederacy of Dunces. Vulture is reporting that the project is back on track with The Muppets director James Bobin now at the helm. Said to be set up at Paramount Pictures, Phil Johnston (Cedar Rapids) will provide the adapted screenplay based on John Kennedy Toole's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a slovenly 30-something who, living with mother, sets out to find a job in New Orlean's French Quarter. Thinking himself a highly-educated genius, Reilly's quixotic nature serves as a sharp contrast to the various souls he encounters. The acclaimed novel was published in 1980, more than a decade after the death of the author. Suffering from depression, Toole committed suicide in 1969 but, thanks to the determined work of his mother, his manuscript found its way into the hands of author Walker Percy, who was instrumental in bringing Toole's book to print. Galifianakis has, for years, been a fan-favorite for the role but, despite efforts on the parts of many filmmakers (including, most recently, Steven Soderbergh) a film version of Dunces has failed to make it into production.