Melissa McCarthy road trip comedy 'Tammy' getting a little dose of 'SNL'

TV vet Beth McCarthy-Miller will direct starring vehicle for the 'Bridesmaids' scene-stealer

By HitFix Staff Monday, Jan 9, 2012 8:11 PM

Melissa McCarthy walks the red carpet at the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala on Saturday.

Credit: AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

New Line has confirmed that veteran TV director Beth McCarthy-Miller has signed on to direct the Melissa McCarthy-starring road-trip comedy "Tammy". The film will mark her feature-length theatrical helming debut.

McCarthy-Miller previously served as the director of "Saturday Night Live" from 1995-2006. Since her depature from the late-night series, she's helmed episodes of shows including "30 Rock", "Modern Family", "Parks and Recreation" and "House of Lies" (not to mention, err, the "Work It" pilot). She also helmed two episodes of the short-lived Christina Applegate ABC comedy "Samantha Who?", in which McCarthy was a series regular.

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The news was broken by Variety.

"Tammy" will star McCarthy as a woman who loses her job at a fast-food restaurant and subsequently discovers that her husband is cheating on her. The dual crises prompt her to embark on a road trip with her bawdy grandmother.

The actress penned the script with her husband, actor Ben Falcone, with whom she is also executive-producing.

In addition to her starring role on the second season of CBS sitcom "Mike & Molly", McCarthy will next be seen in Judd Apatow's "This is Forty" opposite Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Leslie Mann, Albert Brooks, Megan Fox and John Lithgow. The film is slated for release in December.