Take a Peep at this

The screen adaptation of Christopher Priest's novel The Prestige, which follows a battle between two rival magicians for each other's secrets, should do well at the box office- after all it has both Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale on board.

But there is another magician pairing studio execs plan to unleash on the film-going public and the success of this one is a lot harder to determine.

The magicians in question are Robert Webb and David Mitchell, who fans of cult British comedy Peep Show will recognise as lazy waster Jeremy and neurotic Mark from the show.

The pair will star in Universal's appropriately named Magicians, which is due to start filming on the weekend, written by Peep Show writers Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain.

Completing the Peep Show ensemble will be Andrew O'Conner, in the film that will, like The Prestige, follow the fortunes of two feuding illusionists.

Juliet Stevenson(Mona Lisa Smile, Bend It Like Beckham, Being Julia) and Peter Capaldi, Malcolm Tucker from The Thick Of It, are also on board for the project.

Whether the unique humour of the Peep Show crew will translate into box office success in the US market remains to be seen, although the success of Shaun Of The Dead will give them hope.

Shaun Of The Dead featured Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright from fellow Channel 4 comedy Spaced.

Titles related to this article

Related/similar articles

• Neverlands award (2 December 2004)
• World Trade Center DVD release (30 January 2007)
• Who was belle of the ball at Bafta bash? (21 April 2008)
• Tony Soprano meets Alan Partridge in the Loop (1 May 2008)
• The LOVEFiLM Letters: 200 Not Out! (6 May 2008)
• Top 10 Sharpest Suits on TV (26 August 2010)