Steve Carell, Keira Knightley in Talks for 'End of World'

With Steve Carell winding down his starring gig on NBC’s The Office, the actor is zeroing in on his next role: Mandate’s romantic comedy Seeking a Friend at the End of the World.

Carell is in negotiations to star in the movie. Keira Knightley is also in negotiations to star opposite Carrell in the pic on which Lorene Scafaria -- a member of the all-woman scribe group known as the Fempire (Diablo Cody, Dana Fox and Liz Meriwhether are also members -- is making her directorial debut.   The film follows a search by one man (Carell) for a meaningful connection amid the end times.   Mandate is teaming up with Indian Paintbrush on the movie, with Paintbrush’s Steven Rales and Mark Roybal joining Anonymous Content’s Steve Golin and Joy Gorman.   The film will begin principal photography in Los Angeles in May 2011.
Mandate’s Nathan Kahane and Nicole Brown will executive produce. Mandate’s Kelli Konop and Indian Paintbrush’s Jeff Sommerville will co-produce.   Carell and Knightley are repped by WME.   Carell is additionally repped by Media Four while Knightley by UK’s United Agents.