Rogen Observes Mall Crime, May Even Report It

 Seth Rogen will trade in that gun for whatever mall cops carry.

The Hollywood Reporter brings us news that Seth Rogen is set to star in Observe and Report, a comedy written by Jody Hill. Directing chores will also go to Hill, the writer-director of The Foot Fist Way, a much buzzed about 2006 comedy that is finally hitting theaters this spring.

In Observe and Report, Rogen will play a “deluded, self-important” head of mall security who gets involved in a “turf war” with local cops. Rogen can next be seen in this summer’s The Pineapple Express and is currently filming Kevin Smith’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

Look, there’s no reason on earth why this movie couldn’t turn out to be funny. I’m intrigued by the Jody Hill-Foot Fist Way connection–people who’ve seen that seem to love it. But when I read that Seth Rogen is playing a “deluded, self-important” mall cop, am I the only person who wonders if this movie was originally intended for Will Ferrell? Or maybe it is for Rogen and it’s another riff on the cop he played in Superbad? I don’t know. Again, no reason this can’t be good, but a lot of times I read these descriptions of comedies people are making and think, “Hey! This has all the makings of…a great sketch?”