Stonestreet's New Identity As "Big Chuck"

Modern Family scene stealer Eric Stonestreet has joined Seth Gordon's comedy "Identity Thief" says THR.

The story centers on a woman (Melissa McCarthy) who steals another man’s identity (Jason Bateman).

Stonestreet will be playing Big Chuck, “a realty broker with an outsized personality who has a run-in with McCarthy and Bateman‘s characters.” The trade also reports that Morris Chestnut will play a Boston police detective

"Footloose" actresses Maggie Elizabeth Jones and Mary-Charles Jones will play Bateman and Amanda Peet's daughters. John Cho will play a rising investment executive, Clark Duke will play an Eagle Scout on a secret revenge mission to find the man who bilked him. Actor/director Jon Favreau will play Bateman's boss. Genesis Rodriguez ("Man On A Ledge") plays woman after McCarthy while rapper/actor T.I. will play a bounty hunter.

The script was originally written by Steve Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness) getting a rewrite by Craig Mazin (The Hangover Part II).

When the idea was first hatched, Bateman was going to star opposite a male actor as the identity thief, but after seeing McCarthy’s scene-stealing work in Bridesmaids he pushed for McCarthy to be cast in the film.

In addition to starring in the film, Bateman will also be producing the pic with Scott Stuber.

Production is underway to meet a May 10th, 2013 release.