The big Hollywood studios clearly think that John Quaintance and David Feeney’s comedy script Don’t Mess With Texas has that certain something, because they’ve all been part of a bidding war to secure the rights. Now Universal has emerged triumphant, with Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara attached to star.
Texas seems to tear a page out of Midnight Run’s book, albeit with a gender twist, as the actresses will play a cop and a prisoner on the run across the titular state with a gaggle of corrupt law keepers on their tail.
Universal wants this one up and running quickly, with a shoot pencilled in for next March (yes, that’s what passes for quickly on a studio comedy). There’s no sign of a director attached yet, so finding someone will be the next step.
Witherspoon was back on our screens last month in Jeff Nichols’ Mud and has West Memphis Three drama Devil’s Knot awaiting release. She’s at work on Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice and has lined up sci-fi pic Passengers. Vergara, meanwhile, will next be seen in The Smurfs 2 and wearing a machine-gun bra as part of Robert Rodriguez’ Machete Kills.