Fox Nabs Marijuana Comedy from 'Entourage' Producers

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Mark Wahlberg & Steve Levinson

Marijuana is poised for its primetime moment.

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Following a triumphant turn with regard to legalization in both Colorado and Washington, Fox is now developing a weed-themed comedy, appropriately titled The Happy Tree, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The half-hour effort, from Entourage trio Mark Wahlberg, Steve Levinson and Rob Weiss, will center on a young, hotshot corporate attorney who quits his day job following a nervous breakdown and seeks a life of peace and serenity in Venice Beach — only to find himself the unlikely voice for the movement to legalize marijuana.

The timely 20th Century Fox TV project will be written by Weiss along with co-executive producers Jay Leggett and Blake Leibel. Lawrence Longo is on board as a co-exec producer, too. Happy Tree was born out of Weiss' blind script deal at the studio.

Pot played a significant role in Wahlberg's summer blockbuster Ted, in which his character and his teddy bear spent much of their time onscreen stoned. Given the freedoms of premium cable, marijuana frequently was featured on Entourage as well. 

Weiss, whose other small-screen credits include HBO's How to Make It in America, is repped by UTA and Hansen Jacobson; Wahlberg is repped by WME, Leverage Management and Sloane Offer; Levinson is repped by WME and Sloan Offer; Leibel is repped by WME and attorney Sean Marks; Leggett is repped by Liberman Zerman Management; and Longo is repped by Myman Greenspan.

E-mail: Lacey.Rose@THR.com

Twitter: @LaceyVRose