After spending years in development hell, the Fox comedy NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH has suddenly found itself on the fasttrack with an impressive roster of talent. Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn have signed on to star in the film, with Justin Theroux polishing a script from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Akiva Schaffer (HOT ROD) will direct the film.
WATCH will reteam Stiller and Vaughn who previously starred together in DODGEBALL, STARSKY & HUTCH and to a limited extent, ANCHORMAN. The story follows a group of bored suburban dads who form a neighborhood watch after a crime wave hits their streets. They get more than they bargained for when they track down the culprit – aliens from outer space.
Everything to this point has me very excited for this movie, most especially a return to directing for Schaffer who’s made a name for himself as 1/3 of The Lonely Island and directing the Digital Shorts on “SNL.” But there is one thing that gives me pause: the film is being produced by Shawn Levy.
Levy is the director of both NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM films, DATE NIGHT and THE PINK PANTHER. He has a knack for taking incredibly funny actors (Stiller, Steve Carell, Steve Martin) and directing them in incredibly unfunny movies. Will he be the mush that brings bad mojo to NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH?
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