Pilot Watch

Posted: Thu., Aug. 3, 2006, 4:37pm PT

Big pair of jokers

Weitz brothers linking up for laffer duo

Chris and Paul Weitz

Corrections were made to this article on August 14, 2006.

Chris and Paul Weitz have set up a pair of comedy projects at NBC as part of their overall deal with NBC Universal Television Studio.

Duo are teaming with another sibling pair, Mark and Jay Duplass ("The Puffy Chair"), for single-camera comedy "The Trail." Weitz brothers also are aboard the single-camera laffer "Terrible Life," from scribes Mike Carnes and Josh Gilbert.

They'll exec produce via their Depth of Field banner. Both projects have script commitments from the Peacock.

"The Trail" revolves around a group of friends who, after becoming disgusted with their lives, decide to ditch it all and hike the Appalachian Trail. Duplass brothers will write the half-hour, exec producing with the Weitz siblings.

The Duplass brothers-helmed full-length feature film "Puffy Chair" debuted at Sundance in 2005 and was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards. Brothers also directed "The Intervention," and they recently signed a blind script deal with Universal-based Mary Parent and Scott Stuber (Daily Variety, June 1).

"Terrible Life" is about the world's most incompetent guardian angel, who gets one last chance -- bad news for the guy he's sent to guard. Carnes and Gilbert, who wrote the 2004 script "Furry Vengeance" for New Line, are making their first foray into TV.

NBC U TV deal reps the Weitz brothers' first official TV pact, though they're no strangers to the medium. They exec produced the WB laffer "Off Centre" and jointly directed the pilot for Mike White's Fox comedy "Cracking Up."

Chris Weitz is set to helm "The Golden Compass," which he wrote, for New Line. Paul Weitz wrote and helmed the spring comedy "American Dreamz."

Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

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