This isn't the first time the film has had a directorial shuffle, as Jake Kasdan was briefly attached before Carell became involved.  Kasdan directed Orange County, Walk Hard, and the upcoming Hot Teacher.  Kasdan was also the director behind the pilot episode of the short-lived but justifiably lauded NBC series Freaks and Geeks.  John Francis Daley, who played Sam Weir on Freaks and Geeks, wrote the latest drafts of Burt Wonderstone, along with his writing partner Jonathan Goldstein.  The first draft of the screenplay was written by Chad Kultgen, who also wrote the novel 'The Average American Male'.

In Burt Wonderstone, Steve Carell would play the eponymous character, an old school Las Vegas magician who is usurped by a younger, sexier, flashier illusionist.  Destitute, Wonderstone must rediscover his love for the magical arts.  It could have been a good fit for Charles McDougall, who directed episodes on a host of television shows, such as Parks and Recreation, Desperate Housewives, Wonderland, Big Love, The Good Wife, and several excellent episodes of The Office, including "Dwight's Speech".