Alan Alda has been cast alongside his "Flirting With Disaster" co-star Ben Stiller in Universal's "Tower Heist," and the Oscar-nominated actor will also join Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd in the comedy "Wanderlust," the studio announced on Tuesday.
"Wanderlust" stars Aniston and Rudd as a married couple who try to escape their modern society by moving out of New York.
Alda will play Carvin, the head of a naturist village. It sounds like a fun role for the actor, who has a gentle energy about him that should work wonders with this material.
David Wain ("Role Models") directs from a script he co-wrote with Ken Marino, and Justin Theroux, Malin Akerman and Lauren Ambrose co-star.
Wain, Marino and Rudd will also produce alongside Judd Apatow of Apatow Prods., while Dick Vane will exec produce.
As for "Tower Heist," Brett Ratner is set to direct from a script by a plethora of Hollywood's hottest screenwriting talent, including Adam Cooper & Bill Collage, Russell Gewirtz, Rawson Thurber, Ted Griffin, Leslie Dixon, Noah Baumbach and Jeff Nathanson.
The story follows a team of operations and maintenance workers at a Manhattan luxury high-rise who use their inside knowledge of the building to stage an intricate choreographed heist of its penthouse tenant, a Wall Street capitalist (Alda) who defrauded the rank-and-file staff of their pensions.
Brian Grazer will produce, while Kim Roth will exec produce for Imagine Entertainment.
Alda was last seen on the big screen as Kate Beckinsale's crusading lawyer in Rod Lurie's underrated drama "Nothing But the Truth." The Emmy-winning veteran of both "M*A*S*H*" and "The West Wing" earned his sole Academy Award nomination for his turn as a U.S. senator in Martin Scorsese's "The Aviator." He recently guest starred on NBC's "30 Rock," and is set to reprise his role as Alec Baldwin's father in upcoming episodes.
Alda is the comedic secret weapon in David O. Russell's "Flirting With Disaster," so it's nice to see him re-teaming with Stiller for a heist movie that, judging from its writers' collective credits, will surely have its share of funny moments.
Tracy Falco and Kristin Lowe will oversee "Tower Heist" for the studio, while Erik Baiers will handle those duties for "Wanderlust."
Alda is represented by ICM.
