Justin Theroux in tune with "Air Guitar"

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Justin Theroux is jamming.

The actor-writer-producer-director has signed to produce the Paramount comedy "Air Guitar," a story of the competitive (in an ironic sort of way) world of imaginary licks and very real scissor kicks.

Mike Lisbe and Nate Reger have signed on to write the script for the picture, which will be set in the world of air-guitar competitions and feature the colourful characters who participate in them. "Enchanted" producer Barry Josephson will join Theroux in producing.

Theroux is not considering directing or acting in the movie at this time, said people familiar with the project.

"Guitar" originally was developed with Josephson at DreamWorks but ended up at Paramount after the companies split. Adam Goodman and Ashley Brucks are overseeing for the studio; both come from the DreamWorks side.

Theroux is next up in "Your Highness," Universal's David Gordon Green comedy fantasy in which he plays an evil wizard. Expanding his film work beyond acting, he has been a screenwriter on the movies "Tropic Thunder" and "Iron Man 2," both distributed by Paramount.

Lisbe and Reger were writers on television hits including "Just Shoot Me!" They're also attached to write the animal-tamer comedy "Untamed" at Warner Bros. and the male-oriented comedy "Space Invader" at Fox.

"Guitar" came to DreamWorks several years ago, with Ian Roberts and Jay Martel attached to write the project, which was based on the 2006 comedic documentary "Air Guitar Nation" and a book, "To Air Is Human," written by one of the colourful figures from that film, Dan Crane, who plays under the name Bjorn Turoque.

Rock-themed male comedies have had a mixed record, with films like "The Rocker" and "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny" underperforming in recent years.

But faux musicianship has been hot, becoming the basis of hugely such popular videogames as "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band."

(Editing by SheriLinden at Reuters)

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