Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Paramount Pictures has acquired a new project and  made forward progress on another that will star Johnny Knoxville, who has made the studio huge money with the Jackass films. Best of all for Knoxville, both comedies are scripted, which should spare his body at least some abuse.

The studio has preemptively bought First Man, a pitch that Matt Spicer & Max Winkler will write, with Knoxville’s Dickhouse Entertainment producing. Knoxville will play a man whose wife is elected president. A natural hellraiser, he has totally behaved himself during his wife’s presidential campaign, only to find the dynamic of their relationship changes after he moves into the White House and becomes First Man. He is prompted to return to  rowdy form. Dickhouse Entertainment and Priya Swaminathan are attached to produce. Winkler wrote and directed, and Spicer produced Ceremony, which Magnolia will release April 8 with Uma Thurman, Michael Angarano and Lee Pace starring. Winkler & Spicer also scripted The Adventurers Handbook with Jonah Hill and wrote Whispers In Bedlam for Jason Reitman to direct at Fox Searchlight.

Paramount is also reconfiguring Mustache Riders, a project the studio bought in 2008.  This comedy is about three small-time crooks who set off on an adventure to find a buried treasure with a grizzled old outlaw. Knoxville and his Jackass cohorts Bam Margera and Ryan Dunn [who died in a car crash since this news was posted] are attached to star along with singer Willie Nelson.  The script is being retooled so that Knoxville, Bam, and Dunn can do all their own stunts. Broken Lizard, Gerber Pictures, and Dickhouse are producing.

Knoxville’s repped by CAA, and 3 Arts, and Winkler & Spicer are repped by CAA and Principato Young.