DreamWorks Still Thinks Steve Carell Is Funny

Stepping aside from The Office has opened the door even further for Steve Carell to land more big screen roles playing socially awkward timid and or weird guys who aren’t very funny. According to Risky Business, DreamWorks has acquired rights to a comedy pitch called Raised By Wolfs, which Carell will star in and produce. “Wolfs” is apparently the character’s last name, hence the oh so clever misspelling. Wocka, wocka!

I have nothing against Carell. He comes across as a likable guy and he’s been money at the box office lately. That being said, his act is getting old. I loved him on The Daily Show, and Anchorman and The 40-Year-Old Virgin were good for a few big laughs, but none of the stuff he’s done since has impressed me. Evan Almighty, Dan in Real Life and Get Smart were entirely forgettable and Tina Fey saved Date Night from disaster. Dinner for Schmucks looks… um… bad. (Of course that won’t prevent it from banking serious coin this weekend.)

Problem is, Carell is pretty much a one trick pony. Like Chevy Chase back in the ’80s, playing the same character over and over will only take you so far. Stevie boy is riding a huge wave of success right now, but it won’t last much longer if he doesn’t branch out from the oddball outcast character. Eventually, audiences will grow tired of his schtick.