Rose Byrne Joining 'Irresistible', Jon Stewart's New Movie Starring Steve Carell

It's been five years since former The Daily Show host Jon Stewart got behind the camera for the first time with the drama Rosewater. Now he's heading back to the big screen with his sophomore directing effort, and a new cast member is in talks to join the production.

Irresistible already had Steve Carell on board as a slick Democratic strategist who helps a retired veteran run for mayor in a small, right-wing town in Wisconsin (famously a swing state in presidential elections). Now Rose Byrne has been cast as his political adversary in the film.Collider has news of Rose Byrne joining the cast. Byrne will be playing a Republican counterpart who campaigns on behalf of the local mayor trying to hold on to his office.

Byrne has played a variety of roles, including a catty schemer in Bridesmaids, an inappropriate but charming mother in Neighbors, a traumatized wife in Insidious, and a deadly villain in Spy. She has the ability to make a meal out of performances that otherwise might be forgettable, such as her turns in Peter Rabbit or Get Him to the Greek. But perhaps the best evidence of how she'll knock this role out of the park comes from her role on the series Damages. This should be a great role for her to sink her teeth into.

Easily the most exciting thing about this project is the fact that Jon Stewart is directing again, and he also wrote the original screenplay. Stewart is an expert in the game of politics, and this will undoubtedly be a sharp and funny movie with plenty of political drama and intrigue to go along with it. We're not expecting a straight-up comedy necessarily, despite the history that Stewart and Carell both have at The Daily Show, but there's bound to be laughs that naturally comes from a rivalry like this.

Irresistible is still coming together, and the latest report indicates that the film will land at Focus Features when all is said and done. Production could begin this spring, so we'll likely hear more as the season gets closer. Stewart is also producing the film along with Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment production banner.

There's no release date for Irresistible yet, but we'll be sure to keep you posted as information becomes available.