Steve Carell and Keira Knightley in Talks for SEEKING A FRIEND AT THE END OF THE WORLD

Steve Carell and Keira Knightley are in negotiations to star in the romantic comedy Seeking a Friend at the End of the World, which follows “a search by one man (Carell) for a meaningful connection amid the end times.”  The film will be the directorial debut of Lorene Scafaria, the writer of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and lover of long titles.  Scafaria is a member of the femme screenwriter collective the “Fempire” with Diablo Cody, Dana Fox, and Liz Meriwhether.  (I like the group, but I’ll chip in $20 for the word “fempire” to go away.)  THR reports that principal photography is scheduled for May in Los Angeles.

Following his departure from The Office after seven seasons, Carell looks to film Great Hope Springs and Burt Wonderstone later this year.  He will next be seen opposite Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love, due July 29.  Knightley recently wrapped production with Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender on the Sigmund Freud/Carl Jung biopic A Dangerous Method.  Knightley is set to reunite with director Joe Wright (Atonement) for an adaptation of Anna Karenina.