The return of comedy writing/directing/producing god Armando Iannucci can surely be seen as A Good Thing. Variety is reporting that he’s teaming back up with BBC Films, which got In The Loop made, for a new comedy called Out The Window.

Alongside the various other projects he’s got bubbling away, including an Alan Partridge film and an attempt to launch a US version of Loop’s TV progenitor The Thick Of It, Iannucci has been busy writing the script with Roger Drew and Will Smith.

Yes, it means that he’s snagged the services of a major Hollywood star, who will no doubt… wait, no. Sorry, this Will Smith is actually one of The Thick Of It’s regular writers, and occasional actor who cropped up acting in the series as Phil Smith and also had a tiny role in In The Loop.

Out The Window will apparently set financiers back $20 million and should be making us giggle in cinemas sometime in 2011.

There’s no mention of what the film will be yet, though we’re guessing Iannucci will follow up on comments he was making when In The Loop hit cinemas, including what he told CHUD: “If In the Loop is a screwball comedy the next film I want to do is a slapstick comedy, something with lots of visual comedy in it and physical comedy. I'm a big fan of Buster Keaton or the chase at the end of What's Up Doc? It's that classic physical comedy that I've always loved, and I don't see that often. That's the next thing I want to do, actually.”

Naturally we’ll stay on top of this one like Keaton on a speeding omnibus.