Steve Carell is in talks to star in New Line's magician comedy "Burt Wonderstone," the Golden Globe-winning actor's publicist has confirmed to TheWrap.
The story follows a Vegas magician who is one half of a highly successful two-man team, similar to Siegfried & Roy. When his partner dies during a risky stunt, Burt must find a way to rediscover his love for magic and regain his hocus-pocus focus while simultaneously dealing with a rival (may I suggest "Arrested Development" star Will Arnett?).
New Line has been developing the project since 2006, when it purchased Chad Kultgen's (author of "The Average American Male") original spec script, which was formerly titled "Burt Dickenson: The Most Powerful Magician on Planet Earth."
There's no director attached to the project yet, but "Freaks and Geeks" star John Francis Daley and his writing partner Jonathan Goldstein wrote the most recent draft.
Carell recently starred opposite Tina Fey and Paul Rudd in "Date Night" and "Dinner for Schmucks," respectively. He also voiced the lead role in Universal's "Despicable Me," and next stars alongside Ryan Gosling in Glenn Ficarra and John Requa's "Crazy, Stupid Love," which Warner Bros. will release on April 22.
Carell's production company, Carousel Prods., has several projects set up at the Burbank studio, including a Civil War comedy with his "Office" co-star Ed Helms and a remake of the Argentinian comedy "A Boyfriend for My Wife." He's also set to star in DreamWorks' "Raised by Wolfs" and is reportedly developing a sequel to 2008's "Get Smart."
Carell is represented by WME, and the L.A. Times first reported that he was circling the magic movie.
