Kumail Nanjiani, Issa Rae to Star in Romantic Comedy 'The Lovebirds' (Exclusive)

Michael Showalter, who directed Nanjiani in the surprise hit film 'The Big Sick,' is reteaming with the comedian for the movie, which is being made by Paramount and MRC.

Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae have teamed to star in The Lovebirds, a romantic comedy just picked up by Paramount.

Michael Showalter, who directed Nanjiani in the surprise hit The Big Sick, is reteaming with the actor and will be sitting in the helmer’s seat when the fast-tracked project goes into production at the end of January.

Written by Aaron Abrams and Brendan Gall as well as Martin Gero, the script centers on a couple (Nanjiani and Rae) on the brink of a breakup. The pair subsequently become embroiled in a bizarre and hijinks-filled murder mystery, and as they get close to clearing their names and solving the case, the twosome need to figure out how they, and their relationship, can survive the night.

Tom Lassally, Oly Obst, Todd Schulman, Jordana Mollick and Gero are producing the rom-com, which is being co-produced and co-financed by MRC. (MRC is owned by Valence Media, which is the parent company of The Hollywood Reporter.)

Nanjiani, Rae and Showalter are serving as executive producers.

Nanjiani, one of the stars of the HBO comedy Silicon Valley, broke out in a big way with The Big Sick, which earned him and his co-writer wife Emily V. Gordon an Oscar nomination for best original screenplay as it became a sleeper hit in the summer of 2017. He will next be seen starring opposite Dave Bautista in Fox’s action-comedy Stuber, which is set to open July 12.

Rae is the co-creator of the HBO comedy Insecure, in which she is a triple-threat as writer, executive producer and actress. Rae, who was recently seen in the drama The Hate U Give, next stars in Little, a body-morphing comedy from Universal set to bow April 12.

Nanjiani is repped by UTA, Mosaic and Schreck Rose. Rae is repped by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment and Hansen Jacobson. Showalter is repped by UTA, Artists First and Stone Genow.