(Credits: YouTube Stills)
Fri 30 January 2026 14:06, UK
Stephen Merchant has announced he will be directing a new romantic comedy, which he will star in alongside Cameron Diaz.
In addition to co-starring and directing the movie, which is currently untitled, The Office co-creator has also penned the screenplay with John Butler, who Merchant previously worked with on The Outlaws. The film is set to be made by Amazon MGM Studios.
According to Deadline, Merchant will play a workaholic British man who works at a luxury hotel in New York and is seeking a woman to pretend to be his wife at work events.
He then comes to an arrangement with a struggling stand-up comedian, portrayed by Diaz, who is in desperate need of health insurance. While their deal starts off as a purely business affair, it unexpectedly turns into a true romance.
Writing on social media, Merchant said of the project, “Thrilled to announce my next project, a romantic comedy for Amazon MGM Studios, starring Cameron Diaz alongside myself. It’s a pleasure to be directing and co-writing too.”
After a ten-year Hollywood hiatus, Diaz returned to the film industry last year for the Netflix movie Back In Action alongside Jamie Foxx.
In addition to returning to voice Fiona in the next instalment of the Shrek franchise, slated to arrive in 2027, Diaz’s future projects also include Jonah Hill’s Outcome and Jake Szymanski’s Bad Day.
Merchant previously directed the 2018 film, Fighting With My Family, as well as his sitcom Hello Ladies and the subsequent spin-off movie, plus three episodes of his drama series The Outlaws.
After a lengthy hiatus from stand-up comedy, Merchant returned to the stage in 2025 for a series of work-in-progress shows in the UK, but he has yet to announce a full-scale tour.
Thrilled to announce my next project, a romantic comedy for @AmazonMGMStudio, starring Cameron Diaz alongside myself. It’s a pleasure to be directing and co-writing too. https://t.co/anuYWFb9zv
— Stephen Merchant (@StephenMerchant) January 29, 2026
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