Akiva Schaffer Has Offer to Direct 'Neighborhood Watch'; Ben Stiller Circling

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Akiva Schaffer

Akiva Schaffer has an offer to direct Neighborhood Watch, the high-concept, long-in-development comedy from Fox and production shingle 21 Laps.

Ben Stiller is also circling the project and has met with Schaffer but sources say Stiller has no offer. The actor has for weeks been mulling what project to tackle after wrapping Tower Heist for Universal and director Brett Ratner. In recent days, he has narrowed the list to Watch and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, both Fox projects. And sources say he is now settled on Watch.

Watch, to be produced by Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum), is sci-fi comedy about a suburban "neighborhood watch" group that serves as a front for dads to get some male-bonding time away from their families. The group finds itself in over its head when it uncovers a plot to destroy the world. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg wrote a recent draft of the script, which interested Stiller and Schaffer. The project was previously to be directed by Pete Segal.

Stiller would play one of the dads, but the project is written as a two-hander.

Schaffer directed Hot Rod and his work has been featured on Saturday Night Live. He's repped by UTA and Mosaic.

Stiller is repped by WME.

UPDATED: An earlier version of this story said Will Ferrell had met with Stiller about the project, but Ferrell is no longer involved with Neighborhood Watch. 
 
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