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Industry Roundup: Jack Black Plans to Rescue TV

Black Attack: Jack Black has signed a deal with Reveille that calls for him to produce scripted comedies for TV and the internet along with unscripted and animated projects. Black, who got his start on TV with Tenacious D, announced his return to the small screen like a superhero: “Don’t worry TV…Help is on the way!†[HR]

Human Giant: Aziz Ansari’s meteoric rise to stardom is about to hit its highest point yet as the Parks and Rec star is in talks to star in 30 Minutes or Less, an action comedy from Ben Stiller’s production company. Directed by Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland), the film revolves around a junior high history teacher and a pizza delivery man who have to rob a bank after one of them is forced to wear a vest with a bomb on it. Danny McBride is rumored to be in negotiations to play one of the men tormenting these poor suckers. [HR]

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Sunken Battleship: Taylor Kitsch has signed on to play Hopper in Peter’s Berg’s “adaptation’†of the game Battleship. Kitsch will play Hopper, one of the lead characters in the action-adventure and a huge fan of tater tots. [24 Frames/LA Times]

Johnny Two Times: Universal has signed up Rowan Atkinson to revive his role as goofy British spy Johnny English in a sequel to the 2003 film. The sequel is a part of Universal’s move away from edgy fare and toward relatively safe comedies. Now, you may be thinking “But the original Johnny English only made $28 million and cost $40 million to make.†But you’re forgetting the $133 million it made overseas. You always do that. [Variety]

Time to Attend: MGMT plans to launch a world tour in San Francisco on April 12, the same day their second album, Congratulations, comes out. The tour will take them across the western part of the U.S. and then over to Europe. For the sake of all you MGMT fans, we hope the live show isn’t as strange as the album. [NME]

Industry Roundup: Jack Black Plans to Rescue TV