You know how Hollywood projects often come in pairs? How you wait years for an asteroid movie and then get Deep Impact and Armaggedon within a few months of each other, or the double whammy of Capote and Infamous? Well, now there's a treat in store for those of you who have been dying for a film about people who can bring stories to life. Not only is Iain Softley's Inkheart well into production, but it's just been announced that director Adam Shankman is planning the similarly themed Bedtime Stories.
The script revolves around a harried architect, who runs into problems when the lavish bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew start to come true. It's apparently going to be a "large-scale" film, of a sort that Disney have been a little hesitant to greenlight in recent months, since they tend to do better with cheap-o comedies and animation lately.
Clearly, they've got confidence in Shankman. He previously directed The Wedding Planner, A Walk To Remember and the one-two Steve Martin punch of Bringing Down The House and Cheaper By The Dozen 2. He's just finished work on the musical remake of Hairspray, so he's probably not scared of any storybook monsters. After all, he's worked with John Travolta in drag.
Like another Shankman film for Disney, The Pacifier,** **this is described as a "family-themed comedy that can be programmed as either a summer or holiday tentpole", which does make it sound terribly exciting - at least for a studio executive. Filming is due to start in August, potentially giving Shankman time in between to work on either pre-production for his proposed live-action Aladdin film, or his third film with Steve Martin,the comedy Topper based on the 1937 Cary Grant film about ghosts who try to liven things up for their timid friend back on Earth. Well, can't be much worse than Bringing Down The House.