After playing the straight man, with hilarious results, in comedies 21 Jump Street and Ride Along, Ice Cube is taking on a similar role once again for New Line comedy Fist Fight, which he’s in talks to co-lead with Horrible Bosses‘ Charlie Day.
Planned as a more adult take on ’80s cult hit Three O’Clock High, the movie follows a teacher (Cube) who engages in a rivalry with a mild-mannered English teacher (Day) and challenges him to an after-school fist fight after coming to suspect that his diminutive colleague is attempting to get him fired.
Though negotiations are in early stages, the pairing of Cube and Day immediately seems to have promise. The former is known for playing intimidating guys with short tempers, while the latter has excelled as bumbling, over-the-top, energetic pipsqueaks. If the script is solid on the pic, it’s easy to see the pair exhibiting some terrific odd-couple chemistry.
Production is being eyed to kick off this September, with 21 Laps’ Shawn Levy, Billy Rosenberg and Max Greenfield set to produce, with Dan Cohen overseeing for New Line. More immediately, Day has a role in New Line and Warner Bros.’ Vacation reboot, out in July, and Cube’s NWA project Straight Outta Compton hits theaters in August.
Tell us, would you like to see Cube and Day square off in Fist Fight? And who would win in an actual fight between the pair? Though Cube has height on his potential co-star, you’ve always got to watch out for the little guys…
