Whether Identity Thief turns out to be a hit or not, and I certainly have my opinion on if it should be, there's no denying that Melissa McCarthy has laid out a plan for herself that coincides with Hollywood's desire to turn her into an A-list star. Following her Bridesmaids breakout, she became attached to a number of projects, but at the same time began developing her own. One of the first right out of the gate was Tammy, a pet project that has been languishing for awhile.
THR reports that McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone (he was the Air Marshall in Bridesmaids and cameos in Identity Thief) are in talks to co-direct Tammy. They've had no luck securing a director for the film previously, with Tate Taylor (The Help) and Beth McCarthy-Miller set at different stages, so this is probably the wisest course of action to just get things moving. McCarthy and Falcone wrote the script, which follows a fast food employee who loses her husband and her job, then decides to take a road trip to Mt. Rushmore with her hard-drinking grandma. Shirley MacLaine had been rumored to co-star at one point.
In addition, McCarthy and Falcone's production company has three projects on the way. The first is Michelle Darnell, already picked up by Universal, which is based on an original character created by McCarthy. They will write the script alongside The Groundlings' Steve Mallory. Universal has also taken Cousin Irv from Mars, based on cartoonist Bruce Eric Caplan's book about a boy and his cousin who is from Mars. Lastly, they will produce an adaptation of Douglas Brown's self-help book Just Do It: How One Couple Turned Off the TV and Turned On Their Sex Lives For 101 Days (No Excuses!)
Suffice it to say, those who are already sick of McCarthy are going to have a rough few years. I think she's one of the most talented comediennes around, and this is a good way for her to avoid being pigeon-holed.
