After years of toiling in the bullpen of indie film, Kevin Smith has been called up to take a shot for the majors. Warner Bros. has brought him on to direct the 2008 Blacklist selection “Couple of Dicks.” Written by TV scribes Robb and Marc Cullen, “Couple Of Dicks” concerns two LAPD officers who team up to track down a stolen baseball card. Even if it is a rare mint condition dealie, there’d have to be a joke in the value of the depreciating sports collectibles market. Smith’s got some hefty support this time, with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan lined up to star.
The project seems to have a greenlight, as a release date of Jan. 29th, 2010 has been staked out. While Smith always has a number of projects in the pipeline, our guess is one of his most ballyhooed, the horror film “Red State,” is dead in the water. Smith’s collaborators the Weinsteins had already called it a tough sell and passed, and with it’s emphasis on an evangelical pastor spreading hate and tyranny in a conservative America, it might be no longer relevant to today’s audience. Whatever the case, look for “Couple Of Uncooth Policemen” on a Wal-Mart shelf in summer ’10!