Mark Wahlberg preps for 'Date Night'

James Franco, Taraji P. Henson also join Fox comedy film

By Borys Kit

April 13, 2009, 05:43 PM ET

Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Taraji P. Henson, Common and Jimmi Simpson are making plans for "Date Night," 20th Century Fox's Steve Carell-Tina Fey comedy being directed by Shawn Levy. Leighton Meester and Kristen Wiig also have boarded the comedy.

The script, by Simon Kinberg and Aline McKenna, follows a couple whose routine night turns into much more than dinner and a movie when they are mistaken for somebody else.

Wahlberg will play a man working in private security, who deals with black ops and offers to help the couple, while Franco is a dim con man.

Henson, who was Oscar-nominated for her work in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," plays a good cop who doesn't take things at face value. Common, next seen in "Terminator Salvation," and Simpson, who has an ongoing skit called "Lyle the Intern" on "Late Show With David Letterman," are detectives on the take.

Meester ("Gossip Girl") is the couple's baby-sitter, while Wiig ("Saturday Night Live") is Fey's best friend.

The movie starts shooting in Los Angeles next week.

Mark Wahlberg preps for 'Date Night'

James Franco, Taraji P. Henson also join Fox comedy film

By Borys Kit

April 13, 2009, 05:43 PM ET