Theroux
Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have set Justin Theroux to direct "Chief Ron."
The Jordan Roberts-scripted comedy concerns a conman who claims Mohegan ancestry in an attempt to open a casino.
Brian Grazer is producing.
The comedy's inspiration is the true story of Chief Ron Roberts. His blonde hair and blue eyes raised skepticism over his ancestral claims but he prevailed in court and is now building a casino in upstate New York.
Theroux takes the directing job after completing the script for "Iron Man 2" for Marvel Entertainment and Paramount. Before that, he co-wrote and was an exec producer of "Tropic Thunder."
Grant Morris, David Gordon Green and Imagine's Erica Huggins are exec producers.
Project reps the first major studio directing gig for Theroux, who made his helming debut on "Dedication," a film that made its debut at 2007 Sundance before being released through the Weinstein Co.
Contact the Variety newsroom at
news@variety.com