A couple of brief bits of casting news about two very funny people.
First up, Patrick Warburton re-ups his working relationship with Seth MacFarlane (Warburton voices Joe Swanson on “Family Guy“) into a role in his debut feature film, the high concept and foul-mouthed “Ted.” The film is an ambitiously conceived tale about a man and his relationship with a stuffed teddy that comes to life thanks to a Christmas wish he made as a young child. The bear has long been by the man’s side, but now, 25 years later, he’s a smoking, cursing, delinquent nightmare. Warburton will play a sexually confused co-worker of the lead played by Mark Wahlberg in a role described in the script as “a burly Patrick Warburton type.” Guess MacFarlane got what what he wanted. Warburton joins a cast that includes Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Giovanni Ribisi and Joel McHale. No word yet on when this will hit, but likely sometime next year.
Meanwhile, funnyman Kevin Hart has landed a role in “Five Year Engagement.” Hart joins Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Alison Brie, Rhys Ifans, Chris Pratt and Lauren Weedman in the film that follows the relationship rollercoaster of a couple across the titular pre-wedding period with Segel describing the project last year as being in the vein of “Annie Hall” or “When Harry Met Sally.” Weedman will play the demanding head chef at the restaurant where Segel’s character works. Segel co-wrote the film with Nicholas Stoller (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall“), who will also be directing.
And that’s not all on Hart’s plate as he’s also snagged the lead in an adaptation of Steve Harvey‘s self-help book, “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man,” titled “Think Like A Man.” In the film, Hart will play a relationship expert who has no problems handing out advice, but can’t keep his own love life in order. Hilarity presumably ensues. The script has been penned by Keith Merryman and David A. Newman (who both wrote the upcoming “Friends With Benefits“) and a director is being sought for a July start. And since we’re talking about Hart, we have a perfectly reasonable excuse to post this scene from “The 40 Year Old Virgin” which still gets tossed around ye olde Playlist water cooler. [Deadline/Deadline]