Cohen
Freedland
Universal Pictures has bought an untitled pitch by "Due Date" writers Alan Cohen and Alan Freedland.
Imagine Entertainment chief Brian Grazer will produce, and Imagine's David Bernardi and Chris Wade will be exec producers.
The pitch involves a man who was unpopular as a kid. When he returns home, he is mistaken for a popular classmate and experiences the glory he missed in his formative years.
Scribes, who are Emmy winners for "King of the Hill" and currently are co-exec producers of "American Dad," said they focus on touchstone moments that can be mined for laughs. "In 'Due Date,' we focused on the birth of a first child, and here, it is the high school experience, which forged this guy's limited future," Cohen said.
Freedland said: "The early Imagine comedies like 'Splash' and 'Night Shift' were the reason we came here, so it was gratifying that Brian responded to the material."
The Todd Phillips-directed "Due Date," which stars Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis, just wrapped, and Warner Bros. will release it Nov. 10.
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