Usually found trading barbs on the set of comedy series Veep, actor/writers Matt Walsh and Timothy Simons are slightly better at collaborating in real life. In fact, they’ve written a script together, with Paramount picking up Red Shirt as a potential film.
Nothing to do with Star Trek’s ill-fated crew members, Red Shirt is actually set in the world of American college football. The term – which can actually apply to any sport at the collegiate level – means putting a player on suspension so as to extend their eligibility. This happens for various reasons, including waiting for them to be ready to juggle the challenges of the sport and their athletic demands, having the chance to practice with the team without needing to play and building their strength and stamina ready for the rigours of a season.
Exactly how that will play into the plot remains to be seen, but we do know the film will have the backing of Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Films. The Veep stars have been performing steadily on film recently, with Walsh working on Bad Night, 6 Miranda Drive and snagging a role in Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters. Simons has coincidentally also appeared alongside Melissa McCarthy in Michelle Darnell. He’ll also be seen in** Digging For Fire**, Christine and the Goosebumps film, which arrives here on February 5 next year.