Jack Black to reteam with Richard Linklater on Bernie

Jack Black has signed on to reteam with his SCHOOL OF ROCK director Richard Linklater on the upcoming black comedy BERNIE. In the film Black will co-star with Shirley MacLaine in the story of a Texas undertaker who befriends an wealthy widow before stealing her fortune, shooting her four times in the back and leaving her dead body in a freezer.

While it may not seem like comedic fare on the surface, the film is based on a true story and an article written by Skip Hollandsworth (you can read the article in full here). Bernie Tiede was a real guy from Texas who was beloved in the community even after he confessed to the murder.

Filming on BERNIE is expected to begin this October and Linklater, who co-wrote the script with Hollandsworth, is already casting locals for the project to fill “funny and interesting folks” that will make up the background of this colorful town.

Black can be seen this December in GULLIVER’S TRAVELS and next year alongside Owen Wilson, Steve Martin and Joel McHale in A BIG YEAR.