He's just spent some time working on Aquaman for Warners and DC, so we suppose it makes sense for writer Will Beall to stay in the water and take a crack at a new movie based on The Creature From The Black Lagoon.
Universal has hired Beall for the film, which will slot into the studio's planned Monsters Universe currently overseen by Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan. The original focused on an expedition through the Amazon with scientists discovering a human-fish hybrid. We'd figure any new version will deal with pollution and other environmental themes.
Adding the creature to the UMU (or whatever the studio calls it) will give new impetus to an effort that has frustrated Hollywood for years. Gary Ross – who has a familial connection to the original via his writer father Arthur – has been spearheading the development process. Kurtzman is kicking off the Monsters Universe properly with The Mummy, due here on 9 June. Aquaman, which is about to start shooting, lands on 5 October next year.