Looks like Chris Tucker’s loss is Richard Ayoade’s gain… While last week we reported on Tucker being considered for one of the main roles in Ben Stiller’s new sci-fi comedy Neighborhood Watch, the part has now been handed to the IT Crowd veteran.

Stiller stars as a man who moves from the big city to the suburbs, and worries that his life will be boring now he’s away from the excitement of the metropolis.

But while he signs up for the local neighborhood watch patrol after being assured that the crime-fighting organisation is really a way for blokes to escape the routine of family life, he’s soon thrust into uncovering a massive conspiracy.

Ayoade is playing Jamarcus, who has recently gotten divorced. He joins a cast that already includes Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Rosemarie DeWitt.

It’s almost odd to think of Ayoade acting on the big screen, since while he’s long since established himself on TV with the likes of Crowd, The Mighty Boosh and Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, he’s more known cinematically these days as the writer and director of the excellent Submarine.

Still, getting to battle a dark threat that, depending on how Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s script has turned out, may feature aliens? Moss would be thrilled.

Hot Rod director Akiva Schaffer is getting set to start shooting later this month.