Kevin James is set to replace Simon Pegg in new action thriller 'Becky'.

Kevin James

Kevin James

According to Deadline, the 54-year-old actor and comedian is to take over the role of the central villain of the movie opposite 'Annabelle: Creation' star Lulu Wilson after Pegg dropped out due to "a scheduling conflict".

The film - from Yale Productions and BoulderLight Pictures - will be helmed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion and is due to start filming in the next few months.

The story centres on a rebellious 13-year-old (Wilson) who accompanies her father to a lake house for a weekend getaway in an effort to reconnect after her mother's death.

However, the trip takes a dangerous turn when a group of convicts on the run, led by the merciless Dominick (James), invade the lake house leading Becky to take matters into her own hands.

Yale Productions' Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman are producing with Raphael Margules and J.D.

James is best known for his roles in Adam Sandler's 2010 buddy comedy 'Grown Ups' where he starred alongside Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider as five lifelong friends who reunite for a July Fourth weekend with their families as well as portraying Doug Heffernan on the CBS sitcom 'The King of Queens' from 1998 to 2007.

James most recently starred in 2017 comedy 'Sandy Wexler' from Sandler's Happy Madison Productions alongside Schneider, Jennifer Hudson and Terry Crews - which follows a talent manager in 1990s Hollywood - and he also voiced Frankenstein in the third instalment of the 'Hotel Transylvania' franchise titled 'Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation'.

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