Now that he’s tackled education in his most recent job, Bad Teacher, it would seem that Jake Kasdan wants to look at the other vital element in kids’ lives: parents. He’s currently negotiating to tackle an adaptation of Joel Stein’s book Man Made.
The tome, which doesn’t hit bookstores until May, focuses on Stein’s worries when he welcomes a son into the world. Concerned that he’s not enough of a man to be a good role model for the new spawn, he sets out on a quest to rediscover his masculinity.
It sounds like a Nick Hornby / Tony Parsons novel, but it’s actually based on the comedy columnist’s efforts to test himself, including going through Marine training and taking on an MMA fighter.
There’s no word on a scriptwriter yet, but the project does already have a producer, in the shape of Shawn Levy. “For a guy with four daughters, I can't seem to stop exploring father-son thematics in my films,” Levy tells EW. “I’m a big fan of Joel’s writing, and the relatable journey he explores in Man Made. These elements, plus the promise of collaborating with a fantastic filmmaker like Jake Kasdan, should make for a film that’s as poignant as it is funny.”
Kasdan is also attached to make the comedy Sex Tape with Jason Segel.