Perez - whose other credits include Accepted and Herbie Fully Loaded - told the respected trade magazine that he wanted to do a film that is different from typical family comedies.

"It was fun to get to do the opposite of most family comedies," he said, "because I’ve written my share of those."

Ricky’s other big screen work includes Night At The Museum and Ghost Town.


Ricky’s show starts with a bang - June 11 2007
The launch of TV funnyman Ricky Gervais’ Fringe show went with a bang today.

The comedian, who created sitcoms The Office and Extras, was at the firing of the One O’Clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle to plug his Fame show, which will play to 8,000 people in the castle grounds on August 26.

Aside from One Night At The Castle which included comedians last year, Ricky will be the first comic performer to have entertained at the castle since the days of the court jester.

The 90-minute show is part of the 45-year-old’s Fame Tour, and will play at the castle for one date only on the penultimate night of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The audience will pack an the arena constructed in the grounds for the annual military tattoo, which ends its month-long run the previous night.

This will be the award-winning writer and performer’s fourth Fringe, and he said he was delighted to be returning to Edinburgh.

He said: "It’s great to be back. I love Edinburgh and Scotland in general and I love castles," he said.

"In fact on this tour we stay out of town so we’ve stayed in a few castles."


Ricky makes US stand-up debut - May 21 2007
Ricky Gervais has performed his first full-length stand-up show in the US, delighting American fans with his trademark banter.

"I’m getting the hang of this stand-up lark now," he told the New York Daily News before his appearance last week.

"I’ve gotten to the stage that I always wanted to get to, and that’s being totally relaxed. Talking to 5,000 friends like you chat in the pub," he added.

"I don’t want to resort to catchphrases and funny wigs and comedy songs."

Tackling everything from charity work to nursery rhymes in his own inimitable style, Ricky’s 45-minute set at New York’s Tribeca Performing Arts Centre was the first of two warm-up gigs before his debut at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Having tailored half of his current UK stand-up tour with material from previous tours, Animals and Politics, for the US audience, Ricky received a rapturous reception.

And Ricky’s date at the Garden sold out in less than 24-hours, proving that he’s becoming as big a star in the US as he is at home.

Appearing in New York as part of the recent Highline Festival, curated by David Bowie, Ricky told the newspaper about his fondness for the singer-turned-tastemaker.

"It’s great that David Bowie has got behind something like this," said Ricky, who also worked with Bowie in Extras. "He’s always there, isn’t he? I think of him like this strange futuristic sort of genie in the basement - rather like The Man Who Fell To Earth. He knows about everything."

Ricky and Stephen in Baftas battle - April 11 2007
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant will go head to head in the battle for TV Baftas, having both been nominated in the comedy performance category for their hit show Extras.