Apatow cast Jay Baruchel as the lead in Undeclared, then featured him as one of Knocked Up’s man-children.
TORONTO – What the puck? Hollywood star Jay Baruchel, a Montreal Canadiens fan, was at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Tuesday to accept the Golden Box Office prize from Telefilm Canada for his work on Goon.
The local hockey comedy was a box office hit in English-speaking Canada, earning $4.1 million at the multiplex outside of French-speaking Quebec in 2012.
That earned Baruchel and writing partner Evan Goldberg a check for $20,000, while Goon director Michael Dowse also grabbed a $20,000 prize.
Goon portrayed Doug Glatt, a bouncer played by Seann William Scott, who has been touched by the fist of God.
Upon discovering both his right hook and skates, he joins a downtrodden hockey team and inspires them into new heights.
The Canadian indie also starred Liev Schreiber, Alison Pill and Marc-Andre Grondin.
Baruchel is already at work on a script for Goon 2 with Jesse Chabot.
Alliance Films, which released the original picture in Canada, Magnolia Pictures’ Magnet division, the U.S. distributor, and Entertainment One, which did well with Goon in Britain, are all understood to be eyeing the likely sequel.
Telefilm Canada gives the Golden Box Office prize to the Canadian English-language film that was the biggest domestic box office earner of the year.
