Judd Apatow Loves “Cox”

Leave it to Tinseltown’s finest writer/director/whatever Judd Apatow to parody the critically-beloved music biography genre.

Hot off the heels from the future-classic Knocked Up (and awaiting the release of his new flick, Superbad this Friday) Apatow is preparing to release Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story on December 14 this year.

The official trailer for Walk Hard debuted at Comic-Con before the screening of Superbad to a rapturous response, and Apatow seems confident that it could garner some Oscar buzz, hence the deadline-safe release date.

Chiggity-check Walk Hard’s plot, cast and out-of-control cameos after the jump.

Directed by Jake Kasdan (Zero Effect), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story follows the lineage of like-minded, colon-separated titles from Apatow’s stable, telling the tale of (you guessed it) Dewey Cox, an Alabama farmboy-turned successful (albeit troubled) musician played by the infallible John C. Reilly. Through decades of failed marriages, supporting his dozen-plus children and recovering from drug addiction Cox finds himself amongst some heavy drama – and even heavier company.

Thanks to the most absurd casting job ever, The Beatles are represented in all of their glory by Paul Rudd (John Lennon), Jack Black (Paul McCartney), Justin Long (George Harrison) and Jason Schwartzman (Ringo Starr). Seriously.

And Jack White plays Elvis. And Jenna Fischer of The Office plays Darlene Madison, Cox’s backup singer/lover. And Ghostface Killah performs alongside Cox and Jackson Browne. And Eddie Vedder plays himself.

But can Reilly croon, you ask? You tell me.