Ken Marino Set To Direct Eugenio Derbez In ‘Latin Lover’ For Lionsgate’s Pantelion

EXCLUSIVE: Ken Marino is set to direct Pantelion’s Latin Lover with Eugenio Derbez in what would be his first English-language starring role. The film would be the follow-up to his box office hit comedy Instructions Not Included, which was released two years ago by Lionsgate and grossed $99M worldwide. Written by Chris Spain and Jon Zack, the comedy is about an aging Latin lover who gets dumped by his sugar mama and must fend for himself in a harsh world. It is said to be in the vein of Bad Teacher. Derbez will produce with Ben Odell through their company 3Pas Studios. The filmmakers are eyeing a first-quarter start, likely in February.

Marino would go from Latin Lover to Cochran & LaFarge at Fox with Sacha Baron Cohen starring. Marino is writing the features Go The F*** To Sleep at Fox 2000 as well as Return Of The Jocks at Fox (with his wife, Erica Oyama). Universal Pictures recently acquired the comedy pitch Me Time from Oyama and Marino who are both writing for producer Will Packer. The multihypenate Marino also wrote and co-starred in the feature comedies Role Models and Wanderlust, also for Universal.

Marino is onscreen opposite Jack Black in Columbia Pictures’ hit Goosebumps. Other acting credits include They Came Together opposite Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd and Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.

Derbez is repped by UTA and attorneys Behr Abramson Levy. Ken Marino is represented by Principato Young Entertainment and Paradigm Talent Agency, the latter of which also rep writers Spain and Zack.