In the upcoming comedy/drama The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Ben Stiller (Zoolander, Meet the Parents, and dozens of other movies) stars as a daydreaming photo editor who, when a negative goes missing, discovers a chance to embark on a wild global adventure. The film is a remake of the 1947 Danny Kaye classic, but the new version is not a musical.

In addition to playing the title role, Stiller is also producing and directing the movie. He admits it was a tricky sell to studios. At the Tribeca Film Festival, he said he had learned to compare the project to the quirky Forrest Gump. Since then, a lot of people have started comparing it to last year’s critical and commercial hit, Life of Pi. It’s safe say that The Secret Life of Walter Mitty will be more of a comedy than either of those, particularly with Stiller running the show. Sneak peeks of the film have been well received by audiences.

Mitty also stars former SNL cast member Kristen Wiig, notables Shirley MacLaine and Sean Penn, and comedian Patton Oswalt. The screenplay, based on the original short story by James Thurber, was written by Steve Conrad, best known for The Pursuit of Happyness. The film hits theaters on Christmas Day.