Geez, it seems every other day another project pops up for Steve Carell. Now freed from the schedule of "The Office," the actor has been on a tear the past year, starring in "Crazy Stupid Love" and filming "Meeting A Friend At The End Of World" and "Great Hope Springs." In 2012, he'll be no less busy with the comedy "Burt Wonderstone," the drama "Foxcatcher" and the satire "Frank Or Francis" booking time in front of cameras. Oh yeah, he'll also reprise his voice role in "Despicable Me 2" somewhere in there as well. On top of all that, he's got a slew of projects in development including "Dogs Of Babel" with "Once" director John Carney set to helm; the heist comedy "Conviction" and a back-packing comedy he'll produce for "Crazy Stupid Love" helmers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. And now, he's adding yet another project to the slate.
Deadline reports that Universal has snapped up the rights to "Lunatics" from writers Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel to develop into a movie. The material is right in the Carell wheelhouse, telling the tale of a kids' soccer referee who crosses paths with an irate father of a player leading to the pair on the run from the police, soldiers, terrorists, subversives, bears, and a man dressed as Chuck E. Cheese. Zany! Barry and Zweibel will pen the screenplay based on their book which gets published in January. The former doesn't have much movie writing experience but the latter has written for "Saturday Night Live" and "It's Garry Shandling's Show" in addition to penning "North" and "Dragnet."
At any rate, it's another project for the ever busy actor who is continuing to make sure he's got lots of options as he charges full throttle out of TV and onto the big screen.