Production-begins-on-Man-UpComing off the back of a brilliant leading performance in In a World…, Lake Bell is about to return to the world of comedy, adding a little more of a romantic flavour into the mix opposite Simon Pegg in the upcoming Man Up.

Principal photography is officially underway on the rom-com, reports ScreenDaily, with Big Talk and StudioCanal announcing the ensemble cast that will join the leading duo.

Starring alongside Bell and Pegg will be Rory Kinnear, Olivia Williams, Sharon Horgan, Harriet Walter, Ken Stott, and Stephen Campbell Moore.

Bell stars as a disillusioned single woman who mistakenly goes on a date with a freshly-hatched divorcee (Pegg). The production reveals that the “chaotic and unconventional” date includes lost divorce papers, a stalker, competitive indoor sports and an “epic venue-to-venue urban triathlon… It’s about taking chances, making decisions and rolling with the consequences.”

Ben Palmer (The Inbetweeners, The Inbetweeners Movie) makes his sophomore feature at the helm, directing from a script by Tess Morris.

Morris is making her feature debut as a writer, after her script made it onto the 2011 Brit List, our equivalent to the Black List.

It was so nice to see Bell taking centre stage in In a World… at Sundance last year, and I can’t wait to see her back on the big screen, particularly opposite Pegg. The two are brilliant comedians, and are sure to bring a very healthy dose of comedy to balance out the romance nicely.

Big Talk Productions’ founder Nira Park will be producing alongside James Biddle, with Pegg executive producing alongside Matthew Justice, Rachael Prior, Dan Cheesbrough, Danny Perkins, Jenny Borgars, Christine Langan, and Joe Oppenheimer.

Park said of the production,

“I fell in love with these characters from the first read, and I know audiences will as well. There is so much warmth, wit, and heart-breaking honesty in their uniquely modern love story.

“These are two very relatable characters, whose experiences have insulated them against the idea of a fairytale, happy ever after, who despite their disillusionment, stumble across it nonetheless.”

With Pegg adding over on Twitter,

“First official shoot day on Man Up, with the incomparable @lakebell. New job nerves and caffeine buzz, like napalm in the morning.”

Backing comes from StudioCanal, who will be selling rights and also distributing in Australia, and BBC Films, with the latter making a very welcome first collaboration with Big Talk.

Shooting will take place in London over the next six weeks, and here’s to hoping that it will be in cinemas either before the year’s end or very early next year, possibly as a rom-com alternative to the straight romance over Valentine’s Day.