Steve Carell signs 3 year WB deal... GET SMART sequel likely

By Matt Holmes / June 25, 2011

Getting over the failure of EVAN ALMIGHTY remarkably quickly with box office hits DAN IN REAL LIFE, GET SMART and the continuing success of his hit t.v. show The Office... things have just gotten a whole lot sweeter for comedy actor Steve Carell who has just earned himself a lucrative first look deal at Warner Bros. The 3 year deal sees him set up his own production company, Carousel Productions but is not thought to involve a sequel to the $230 million worldwide grossing GET SMART. That's not to say a sequel isn't in progress at the studio as Variety believe it is, it just means it's not part of this option.

"My idea was to partner with friends of mine, people I trusted, with whom I share a certain sensibility," Carell told Daily Variety. "I have some ideas for films, but I€™ve gotten to know so many people who are funny, talented and fertile with ideas that I€™m confident this very strong base of friendships will lead to projects."

Carell's friend pool is quite large, so he could be talking about anybody. He has a big legion of friends from working with Judd Apatow, from working on The Office, The Daily Show and of course his gigs on Saturday Night Live. In fact the only movie on his upcoming CV is DATE NIGHT, a rom-com he is set to make with his former SNL colleague Tina Fey for NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM director Shawn Levy.