Wahlberg, Franco join 'Date Night'

Rex Features

Mark Wahlberg and James Franco have joined the cast of upcoming comedy Date Night, reports Variety.

The story revolves around a married couple (Steve Carrell and Tina Fey) who plan a routine date night without their children, only for their evening to go horribly wrong.

Wahlberg will star as a successful securities expert who flirts with Fey's character, while Franco will play a not-too-bright petty criminal.

Other big-names to have signed on include Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester as the couple's babysitter, rapper Common as a villain, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button star Taraji P. Henson as a police officer, and Fey's former SNL colleague Kristen Wiig as her best friend.

Discussing the casting, director Shawn Levy said: "People just kept saying yes. I think people just really wanted to work with Tina and Steve."

Shrek The Third scribe Josh Klausner has penned the screenplay.