Carell
Warner Bros. has finally found a star to anchor its bigscreen version of the sitcom classic "Get Smart."
Steve Carell -- formerly a field reporter on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and a supporting player in such films as "Bruce Almighty" and "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" -- is making a deal to play bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart. The role was originated memorably by Don Adams during the original 1965-70 series run and again in bigscreen spinoff "The Nude Bomb."
A script will be tailored for Carell by Steve Koren, whose recent credits include "Bruce Almighty" and the Adam Sandler vehicle "Click."
Pic will be produced by Andrew Lazar and Mosaic's Chuck Roven, Jimmy Miller and Eric Gold and overseen by Warner's Greg Silverman.
WB has been trying for several years to make a film from the secret-agent comedy, created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, which pitted Agents 86 and 99 against the evil forces of KAOS. Warner had attached Will Ferrell last year, but he has been so busy that the project languished.
Carell acted in Woody Allen's ensemble comedy "Melinda and Melinda" and stars in NBC's Americanized version of British comedy "The Office." He gets his first lead role in a studio comedy with New Line's "Furry Vengeance."
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