Infamous Hollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen has found a new sitcom to call home. The former “Two and a Half Men” star announced today that he will return to the small screen in “Anger Management,” a sitcom based on the 2003 hit movie of the same name.
Sheen’s character will be based on Jack Nicholson’s role in the film: the eccentric counselor who often angers his patients with his bizarre therapeutic techniques instead of calming them down. Unlike Nicholson’s character, Sheen’s is an athlete-turned-counselor dealing with rage issues stemming from his failed sports career. (Martin Sheen to attend Drug Courts support rally, hearing in D.C.)
“I chose ‘Anger Management’ because, while it might be a big stretch for me to play a guy with serious anger management issues, I think it is a great concept,” Sheen said Monday, tongue firmly planted in cheek. “It also provides me with real ownership in the series, a certain amount of creative control and the chance to be back in business with one of my favorite movie producers of all time, Joe Roth.”
A former Disney chief and the founder of Revolution Studios, Roth has worked with Sheen on projects including “Major League,” “Young Guns,” and “The Three Musketeers.”
“Who better than Charlie Sheen to tackle ‘Anger Management?'” Roth asked. “With Charlie’s incredible talent and comedic gifts, he remains the leading man of TV sitcoms. I’m excited to collaborate with him once again.”
Roth is teaming up with Debmar-Mercury, a division of Lionsgate, to finance, produce and distribute the show by the fall of 2012.
“We always look for series ideas that are noisy, accessible and relevant,” said Lionsgate president, Kevin Beggs. “With a star of Charlie’s magnitude, a producer as venerable as Joe Roth and a branded property as compelling as ‘Anger Management,’ this show has unique upside while still adhering to our disciplined business model,” Beggs continued.
Sheen’s deal has reportedly been in negotiations for months, but many of the details have yet to be finalized, including when filming will commence, who else has been cast, and which network will air the series.
The unpredictable actor was fired from the hit CBS sitcom “Two and a Half Men” only four months ago, and is still involved in a legal battle with the show’s executive producer, Chuck Lorre. Sheen is suing the producer for $100 million for complications surrounding his abrupt firing in March.