It’s a good time to have a Saturday Night Live connection. Late last week former writer/performer Jenna Slate landed a gig with Warner Brothers to script the return of the Looney Tune characters to the big screen. Now, New Line has picked up the comedy Spy Guys with Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccoone attached to direct.
Taccone has co-written and co-directed dozens of shorts films which have appeared on Saturday Night Live in conjunction with his Lonely Island collaborators Akiva Schaffer and Andy Samberg. He also helmed the big screen adaption of the Will Forte’s SNL character MacGruber.
Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision blog describes the film as a mash-up of Ocean’s Eleven, True Lies and Mission: Impossible.-
[The film] centers on a CIA operative who, while attending a friend’s wedding in Europe, is framed and becomes an enemy of the state. Now on his own, he’s forced to reveal his true identity to his average Joe buddies and enlists their help. When they aid his escape, they also become wanted, as accomplices, and they must go on the run together to clear their names.
The project was sold to new line based off a pitch from writer Adam Sztykiel who will also handle the screenplay. Previously he has worked on Due Date, Project X and Made Of Honor. His script Replay is currently at Sony with Seth Gordon set to direct.
