Sony Pictures is starting to get hot and heavy with Sex Tape, the Kate Angelo-scripted comedy that the studio acquired in June in a seven-figure spec deal. The script’s about a married couple, Annie and Jay, who take a night off from their kids, decide to get adventurous and spice things up by making a private sex tape. When they wake up, the tape is gone and they go on a desperate search to find it.

I’m told that Nick Stoller is in talks to direct the film, and that the studio wants Jason Segel and Reese Witherspoon to play the couple. I’ve been hearing this for awhile, and now the offers are going out. The comedy will be produced by Escape Artists partners Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch, who came up with the idea. Stoller co-wrote The Muppets with Segel.

– deadline.com

‘Sex Tape’ lures Segel, Stoller

The “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” team of Jason Segel and helmer Nicholas Stoller may reunite for Sony’s “Sex Tape,” a high-concept comedy written by Kate Angelo that is set up at Escape Artists.

Stoller beat out more experienced comedy helmers including Mark Waters (“Mean Girls”) for the gig. Stoller will receive an offer today, and negotiations are expected to begin shortly, as there is mutual interest in the project.

Segel is also expected to receive an offer to star as half of a happily married couple who get a night off from their parental duties and decide to spice up their love life by making a sex tape. When they wake up the following morning, they discover the tape has gone missing, prompting them to figure out who took it and how to get it back.

Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch will produce for Escape Artists.

Should Stoller and Segel’s deals close, the latter could be paired with one of his previous co-stars, such as Amy Adams (“The Muppets”) or Emily Blunt, who toplines Stoller’s upcoming Universal comedy “The Five-Year Engagement” with Segel. Stoller’s “Get Him to the Greek” star Rose Byrne and Jennifer Garner are also in the mix along with Reese Witherspoon.

“Sex Tape” is a high priority project at Sony, which paid low seven figures for Angelo’s spec script in June. Sony execs Andrea Giannetti and Adam Milano will oversee the project for the studio.

Segel, who recently starred in Sony’s hit comedy “Bad Teacher,” next toplines Disney’s “The Muppets,” which he and Stoller co-wrote for director James Bobin. Thesp recently wrapped Judd Apatow’s latest, as-yet untitled movie and also stars in the Duplass brothers’ comedy “Jeff Who Lives at Home.”

Segel is repped by WME and Abrams Entertainment, while UTA reps Stoller.

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