Richard Ayoade, star of Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd and writer-director of the well-received indie comedy Submarine, looks set to be the latest British comic to be making moves in Hollywood after signing on for a role in Ben Stiller's new film.

Neighbourhood Watch is a sci-fi comedy about a man (Stiller) who joins a local anti-crime group after leaving the big city for life in the supposedly quiet suburbs. The screenplay is by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the writing team behind Superbad and recent comicbook caper The Green Hornet.

Ayoade will play a recent divorcee, Jamarcus, who's a member of the group. The part was previously earmarked for Chris Tucker, the one-time $20m-a-movie man who has not appeared in a film since 2007's Rush Hour 3.

In the movie's central conceit, the men of the Watch uncover a sinister conspiracy in the course of their duties. Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Rosemarie Dewitt are also on board, while Hot Rod's Akiva Schaffer is to direct.