Source:Rough House Pictures

February 4, 2010

Rough House Pictures head of production Matt Reilly announced today that the company has acquired L.A.P.I., an action-comedy pitch from writers Michael Diliberti and Matthew Sullivan (upcoming Brewster's Millions), through Rough House's deal with Mandate Pictures. Rough House principal Jody Hill (Observe and Report) is attached to direct and Danny McBride (Up in the Air, Tropic Thunder) is attached to star. David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express), Hill, McBride and Reilly will produce. Mandate President Nathan Kahane will executive produce. Details of the plot are being kept under wraps, apart from McBride starring as a beaten down, hard boiled P.I. in the action-comedy.

L.A.P.I. is the first project to be developed under the new label formed by David Gordon Green, Jody Hill and Danny McBride. The co-venture seeks to produce high concept comedies with their brand of humor. Combining their creative filmmaking with Mandate Pictures' financing and producing expertise, the company seeks to establish itself as a hub for exciting and bold comedic voices.

Michael Diliberti and Matthew Sullivan, who had two scripts on the 2009 unofficial Black List, are co-writing Brewster's Millions, the latest take on the George Barr McCutcheon novel, which is set up at Warner Bros. The duo got the job coming off the buzz generated by their spec Comic-Con, an action-comedy about a group of friends who plan and execute a daring heist at Comic-Con in San Diego. The scribes met while attending the Johns Hopkins University. Sullivan segued into stand-up comedy, while Diliberti worked as an assistant, first to Scott Rudin and then to John Lesher. He acted as an associate producer on the Rudin-produced Stop-Loss, and was a creative executive at Paramount.