"I Love You Phillip Morris" Helmers Do Steve Carell Comedy

By our guest blogger, Matt Jussim

"I Love You Phillip Morris" and "Bad Santa" helmers John Requa and Glenn Ficarra are set to direct an untitled Steve Carell comedy, reports Variety.

According to Variety: Warner Bros. is in negotiations with the directing team of John Requa and Glenn Ficarra ("I Love You Phillip Morris") to helm its untitled Steve Carell comedy.

Carell will play a father whose life unravels while he deals with a marital crisis and tries to manage his relationship with his children. Dan Fogleman wrote the script while Denise Di Novi will produce.

The move comes a month after the studio purchased the spec script by "Bolt" scribe Fogelman for $2 million against $2.5 million as a star vehicle for Carell.

Requa and Ficarra directed "I Love You Phillip Morris" from their own script, adapted from Steven McVicker's novel. "Morris" features Carrey as a married conman who falls in love with his cellmate, played by Ewan McGregor; the film has a March 26, 2010 release date.

The duo also wrote "Bad Santa," "Bad News Bears" and "Cats and Dogs." At Universal, Requa and Ficarra are attached to direct "Pharm Girl," which they wrote, with Reese Witherspoon starring.

The humor of Requa and Ficarra sometimes can lean to the dark side, as seen in the Billy Bob Thornton comedy “Bad Santa,” but this film sounds as if it won’t venture down that path. Also, it definitely fits Carell, who is a fantastic actor that proved in “Dan in Real Life” that he can play a fatherly role.

Steve Carell is one of my favorite actors in Hollywood today, so any film that he is attached to will catch my interest, and this one is no different. I am amazed every week watching him as Dunder Mifflin’s Regional Manager Michael Scott, because he is absolutely hilarious.

Carell is attached to a few projects right now, so look for him to make a decision on which his next film will be in the coming weeks.