He may forever be known as the man who directed Napoleon Dynamite, but Jared Hess has carved out a solid career for himself behind the camera. He’s now signed on to direct family comedy Overnight At 42nd Street – usually just known by that first word – for Disney.
The film, which has a script from 22 Jump Street co-writer Oren Uziel, is described as “Home Alone in a toy store” with that quick pitch opening up to reveal the tale of a divorced father and his son winning a competition to spend the night in a brand new, chock-full megastore. Unfortunately for them, their visit coincides with the very night that thieves decide to break in. And even as he's trying to thwart the criminals, the dad has to salvage his fracturing relationship with his sprog.
This is one that has had difficulty finding a home. Originally developed at Sony and briefly considered for Ruben Fleischer, it then moved on to Disney, where Steve Pink took on the job. Now, though, he’s off and Hess in aboard, with the Mouse House looking to lock in the father-son combo main roles before committing to a shoot. Will Ferrell was offered the lead originally, but it appears the gig is currently open.
Hess premiered his recent comedy Don Verdean at Sundance, where Lionsgate quickly pounced to pick it up. He’s currently shepherding Masterminds through the post-production process.