Identity Thief is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, written by Craig Mazin, and starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy. The film tells a story about a man (Bateman) whose identity is stolen by a woman (McCarthy). The film was a commercial success, grossing over $174 million worldwide on a $35 million budget. The film was first conceived as a project with two male leads, but that changed when Bateman saw McCarthy in Bridesmaids and pushed for her to star alongside him. Jerry Eeten wrote an early draft, later finished by Craig Mazin with a final rewrite by Seth Gordon. In January 2012, Gordon was announced as the director of the film with Scott Stuber producing through his Stuber Pictures banner with Bateman and Peter Morgan for DumbDumb. In April 2012, John Cho, Clark Duke and Amanda Peet joined the cast (Duke did not appear in the finished film). In May 2012, Jon Favreau and Morris Chestnut also joined the cast.