We’ve seen a handful of movies in recent years that combine short films from well-known directors, usually themed around a particular city (ie. Paris Je T’aime, Tokyo!, New York, I Love You), but for some reason the concept has rarely been applied to comedy on the big screen. It would seem like a great fit, especially considering the continued interest in sketch comedy shows and the proliferation of comedy shorts on the internet thanks to sites like Funny or Die. This week, however, Deadline New York brings us word on a massive untitled comedy in development that will feature segments directed by approximately 17 different filmmakers and involving an all-star cast.

The project has been in the works for a few years now, getting shuffled between multiple studios, but it has now landed at Relativity, who hope to have shooting wrapped in May. So far, directors include Pete Farrelly, Brett Ratner, Elizabeth Banks, Bob Odenkirk, and Griffin Dunne, with such cast members as Banks, Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Gerard Butler, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Patrick Warburton. The segments are typically shot on the fly; Farrelly’s segment The Catch was filmed with Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet in New York during Jackman’s day off from a Broadway play. The film is expected to stick to an R-rating. Although it’s likely to be hit and miss, I do think this is a great idea, and it will hopefully recreate the schizophrenic appeal of such films as Kentucky Fried Movie and UHF. I’m looking forward to hearing more about this intriguing project in the near future.