Just like he did with the supporting roles for Night at the Museum, director Shawn Levy has managed to convince some Hollywood leading players to appear in second-tier parts for an upcoming film of his, securing deals with Mark Wahlberg and James Franco this week.

The movie is Date Night, the Steve Carrell and Tina Fey rom-com which will be shot during the pairs breaks on The Office and 30 Rock respectively sometime late Summer for 20th Century Fox.

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Also on board are Taraji P. Henson, Common, Kristen Wiig and Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester. Levy tells Variety, that he managed to convince these “formidable actors” because they all wanted to work with the two comedy leads.

Written by Shrek the Third scribe Josh Klausner, the movie follows a couple who find their routine date night becomes something much more than either initially expected.

Wahlberg plays a “crazily buff” securities expert who flirts with Tina Fey. 

Franco is a petty criminal and not to bright con-man.

Meester is the couple’s babysitter.

Henson plays “the one good cop” who thinks the couple are in danger. 

Common plays the villain (IN A ROM-COM, what sort of character description is that?)

Wiig plays best friend to Fey. 

Love me some Steve Carell comedy and picturing him working off Tina Fey works well in my mind. And Klausner’s script must have some good if it’s convinced Franco and Wahlberg to play secondary roles, and even attract Carell in the first place. 

Oddly looking forward to this, despite it coming from the director of Big Fiat Liar, Just Married, Cheaper by the Dozen and The Pink Panther.

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