Cameron Diaz is lining up a new romantic comedy, teaming with Stephen Merchant on an upcoming Amazon MGM Studios project that will see Merchant starring and directing.
The as-yet-untitled film follows a workaholic Brit (Merchant) employed at a high-end New York hotel who needs a wife for appearances. He strikes a deal with a struggling stand-up comic (Diaz), desperate for health insurance, setting up a fake marriage that starts as a transaction and ends up a lot less simple.
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Deadline broke the news, reporting that Merchant will direct from a screenplay he co-wrote with John Butler. Merchant is also producing alongside Lee Eisenberg and Point Grey Pictures’ Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver and Josh Fagen, with Natalie Sandy attached as executive producer. There’s no title or release date just yet
Butler previously wrote and directed Handsome Devil, directed Papi Chulo, and most recently created the six-part series These Sacred Vows. He has also collaborated with Merchant before on The Outlaws, making this a familiar creative pairing behind the scenes.
For Merchant, it marks yet another major on-camera and behind-the-camera gig from the co-creator of The Office, while Diaz continues to stack up new projects following her return to acting. Her 2025 Netflix actioner Back in Action was her first feature film in around 11 years.
