Justin Long ‘Accepted’ for comedy

Justin Long who appears in “Herbie: Fully Loaded,” is starring in “Accepted,” a comedy Steve Pink is directing for Universal Pictures.

The story centers on a high school senior who finds a unique way to avoid the pressure to attend college and outsmart his parents.Universal bought the spec by Mark Perez in a high-priced bidding war. Adam Cooper and Bill Collage have done a rewrite.

Steve Pink, a longtime collaborator with John Cusack, will make his feature directing debut on the Universal project. The movie is set for release next April. Tom Shadyac and Michael Bostick are producing via their Universal-based Shady Acres Entertainment banner.

Long’s credits also include “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” “Happy Campers” and the “Jeepers Creepers” movies.