Cheaters: Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis will buddy up for the Farrelly Brothers comedy Hall Pass. The film centers on a married couple bored in their relationship. Rather than remain bored, the wife gives the husband (Wilson) a “hall pass,†which is essentially a free pass to cheat. His best friend (Sudeikis) also gets a “hall pass.†Then they go out to find chicks but decide that it’s really their wives they want to be with. That’s pretty much guaranteed to be the story, right? [THR]
Cheaters 2: Infidelity is so hot right now. Universal is putting together a project directed by Ron Howard and starring Vince Vaughn about a man who learns that his best friend’s wife is cheating and must figure out what to do with that valuable information. The script is said to “walk a fine line of being comedy and drama.†Fingers crossed that the best friend is Jon Favreau. [THR]
Home Run: Last seen with snot dripping into her mouth in Doubt, Viola Davis has joined the cast of August Wilson’s Fences. Davis will star as the wife of Tory Maxson (Denzel Washington), a former baseball player who works as a garbage man in Pittsburgh. Davis should start preparing now for Denzel’s “ungenerous, unkind and knowingly hurtful†personality. [Arts Beast/NYT]
Strike Out: ABC has picked up two sitcom pilots from veteran comedians Carlos Mencia and Cedric the Entertainer. Mencia’s will focus on a large multi-generational immigrant family and will be modeled after his cringe-inducing stand up act. The other stars Cedric the Entertainer as a retired baseball player-turned-radio host who is starting anew his relationship with his son and granddaughter. If we had to watch one of these (and hopefully we don’t), it would definitely be Cedric’s mash-up of Frasier and Mr. 3000. [THR]
Fastest One Hour in TV: Michael Mann and HBO are in talks for the director to helm Luck, the hourlong pilot about horse racing created by Deadwood-honcho David Milch. According to Milch, the pilot is about the lives that intersect at the horse track. Ace Bernstein, the lead character, is described as “a guy versed in all the permutations of finance, elicit and otherwise. When he is released from jail for securities violations, he resumes his place at the race track, where he is a figure of long-standing repute.†Count us in. [Variety]