The Sundance Film Festival, which kicks off on January 17th, has announced its 2013 line-up. Among them is Toni’s most recent film, “The Way, Way Back”, directed and written by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. Duncan, an introverted 14-year-old, comes into his own over the course of a comedic summer when he forms unlikely friendships with the gregarious manager of a rundown water park and the misfits who work there. Cast: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Liam James.

The New York Times has posted a very insightful article on the current making of “The Way, Way Back”, a new comedy by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash with Toni Collette and Steve Carell. When most of America last saw Jim Rash and Nat Faxon together, it was February and they were flanking the filmmaker Alexander Payne on the stage of the Academy Awards as the three men received their Oscars for the screenplay of “The Descendants.” Mr. Faxon was grinning widely, while Mr. Rash flexed an elbow and thrust forward a leg, emulating the posture of his trophy’s presenter, Angelina Jolie.

Five months later Mr. Rash and Mr. Faxon had traded their tuxedos for simple summer clothes as they stood on the sweltering back porch of a beach house here in this bayside town south of Boston, where they were directing their first feature film, “The Way, Way Back.” The narrow porch was crowded with equipment and crew members, and the kitchen packed with stars like Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Amanda Peet and Rob Corddry. While the weather threatened to pivot from grueling heat to pounding rain, Mr. Faxon and Mr. Rash were trading quips about their newfound levels of stress. “Stay around until you see a blowup,” Mr. Rash said, only sort of joking. These two longtime collaborators could have invested their post-Oscars capital into almost anything, whether a big Hollywood studio project or new pools. Instead, before returning to their television day jobs – Mr. Rash plays the spastic college dean on NBC’s “Community,” and Mr. Faxon is starring on a new Fox sitcom, “Ben and Kate” – they are channeling their energies into “The Way, Way Back,” an independent coming-of-age comedy. The complete article can be read here.

Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet and Maya Rudolph have joined the cast of The Way, Way Back (formerly The Way Back), Deadline reports. They join Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Liam James and Sam Rockwell in the comedy drama, set to begin filming next week in Massachusetts. Written by the Academy Award winning team of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (The Descendants), The Way, Way Back is set over the course of a summer and follows a teenage boy (James) who strikes up an unlikely friendship with an adult (Rockwell) — one that helps him confront his abusive stepfather (Carell) and reconnect with his mother (Collette). Faxon and Rash will appear as actors as well, playing Waterpark employees where James and Rockwell’s characters are employed. In front of the camera, Rash is best known for playing Dean Pelton on NBC’s “Community.”

According to Variety, Liam James, who plays Mireille Enos’ son on AMC’s “The Killing,” has landed the coveted lead role in the coming-of-age indie “The Way, Way Back,” which marks the directorial debut of “The Descendants” scribes Jim Rash and Nat Faxon. Faxon and Rash’s script, which appeared on the 2010 Black List, follows a teenager (James) who struggles to find himself as he comes to terms with his unattentive mother (Toni Collette) and cheating stepfather (Steve Carell) during summer vacation. He finds acceptance at a local waterpark where he secretly works during the week, and garners the confidence to stand up to his step-dad while healing his relationship with his mom. Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney are set to co-star in the pic, which will lens this summer in Massachusetts. Also, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Imogen Poots has signed to star opposite Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette and Emile Hirsh in French filmmaker Pascal Chaumeil’s A Long Way Down. The script details the story of four disparate individuals who meet one another on a London roof top on New Year’s Eve all with the same intention to commit suicide. Instead of jumping, these complete strangers make a pact to stay alive and stay together until Valentine’s Day, at least.

It worked extremely well when Steve Carell and Toni Collette were paired up as part of the ensemble cast that made Little Miss Sunshine, so it’s not hard to see why Oscar winners Jim Rash and Nat Faxon would want the actors for their directorial debut. According to Variety, Carrell and Collette have both signed on to star in The Way, Way Back. Just like the last time the two worked together, the actors will be surrounded by talent, as Sam Rockwell, Allison Janney and Annasophia Robb are all already signed on. Set over the course of a summer vacation, the movie centers on a young boy who must learn to deal with a “unattentive mother and cheating stepfather.” The two new actors will be playing the parental roles and Carrel’s character description is a real winner, described as a fan of booze, drugs and women. While both Faxon and Rash are best known as actors – particularly Rash, who plays the ridiculous and amazing Dean Pelton on NBC’s Community – they nabbed Oscar gold a few months ago when their adaptation of The Descendants, which they wrote with Alexander Payne, was rewarded with the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award. The Way, Way Back will not only be their feature directorial debut, but their first director credits in general. This project is already sounding amazing and it hasn’t even gone into production yet. Let’s just hope they find a really solid actor to play the teen at the center of the story.