EXCLUSIVE: New Line Cinema is negotiating with Zachary Levi to star in Spy Guys, and it has just set Jeff Tomsic to direct the script by Adam Sztykiel. That puts the action comedy on a fast track as the aim here is to get the movie made before Levi reprises in the Shazam! sequel, which New Line is also percolating.

Tomsic made his directorial debut last year on the New Line comedy Tag, and cut his teeth on the Comedy Central series Broad City and Idiotsitter, on which he is executive producer. Sztykiel’s credits include Rampage and Due Date.

Levi will play a super spy in the vein of Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt who gets in a jam on an impossible mission and can only rely on the help of his moronic college friends who happen to be with him to work it out.

Pic will be produced by John Rickard (Rampage and the Horrible Bosses films), and the Lonely Island team of Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer.

Levi is repped by UTA, Untitled Entertainment and McKuin Frankel; Tomsic is with UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment and Schreck Rose.