New Line Acquiring Melissa McCarthy’s ‘Tammy’ Script (Exclusive)

New Line has preemptively acquired Melissa McCarthy’s script Tammy, a raunchy comedy that the Emmy winner co-wrote and will executive produce. McCarthy could also star in the road trip pic. 

Ben Falcone, McCarthy’s husband and writing partner, co-wrote the script and will co-exec produce.

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The project centers on an overweight woman who is laid off from her job at Hardee’s, discovers her husband is having an affair, and decides to go on a road trip with her alcoholic, foul-mouthed, diabetic grandmother. The script is based on a character created by McCarthy.

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“It’s about these two women who are not where they thought they would be, and then they kind of band together,” McCarthy told The Hollywood Reporter of the project last month. “It’s just my perfect tone. It’s so funny, and it also kind of breaks my heart.”

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The news comes some six months after McCarthy’s breakout performance in Universal’s Bridesmaids. In the months since, the comedienne-actress has hosted a highly-rated episode of Saturday Night Live, won an Emmy for CBS’ Mike & Molly and sold a comedy project about a woman having a mid-life crisis to CBS.

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In addition to being in negotiations to star opposite Jason Bateman in Identity Thief, McCarthy and Bridesmaids writer Annie Mumolo are co-writing another McCarthy star vehicle set up at Paramount. The project will feature McCarthy as the mastermind of a plan to hijack the Stanley Cup in order to cheer up her sick husband.

She is also set to appear in Bridesmaids producer Judd Apatow’s still-untitled Knocked Up spin-off, along with director Paul Feig’s Dumb Jock project at Universal.

Falcone, who appearerd in Bridesmaids as the air marshall, also co-wrote and will co-exec produce the CBS pilot. He will next be seen in What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

McCarthy and Falcone are repped by CAA.

(Lacey Rose contributed to this report.)

Email:  Daniel.Miller@THR.com; Borys.Kit@THR.com

Twitter:  @DanielNMiller; @Borys_Kit