Ever since stealing scenes from the rest of the cast in Bridesmaids, writer/actress Melissa McCarthy has been in serious demand. And now she’ll be putting those thieving skills to good, practical, cinematic use, as she’s signed on to co-star with Jason Bateman in ID Theft.
McCarthy’s work is the main reason she’s scored this latest gig: according to Deadline, Bateman saw what she did in Bridesmaids and, as producer on the new film, ordered that the script get re-written to include her.
He’ll star as an ordinary guy who has his identity stolen by a devious criminal. The thief was to have been a guy, but now McCarthy will be taking that role, adding an extra layer of comedy. She's come a long way since starring as Star's Hollow's loveable chef Sookie in Gilmore Girls.
The original screenplay was by The Pursuit of Happyness’ Steve Conrad, but now The Hangover 2’s Craig Mazin is taking a pass at it to change the gender of the criminal. Let’s hope he’s not just doing a find-and-replace search. This is a good place for an easy crack at the Hangover sequel, but we’re bigger than that.
ID Theft should kick off shooting next April when McCarthy has time free from US sitcom Mike & Molly. But the movie does still need a director…