According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal Pictures has picked up the comedy screenplay Quest to Ref from first-time feature writers Ben Watkins and Guy Guillet.

The script follows a young married guy obsessed with being a sports referee who has hopes of entering a national contest with the help of a broken-down former referee.

The script is based on a 2002 short film of the same name, which Watkins wrote, produced, co-directed and starred in. Watkins originally made the short film to jump-start his acting career and ended up with a role on the CBS daytime drama The Young & the Restless.