That Ron Howard so' do like to keep busy. Even as he prepares to start filming on Frost/Nixon, and preps Dan Brown sequel Angels & Demons he's also signed on to direct The Emperor's Children.
Sadly, this isn't some sort of American remake of Curse of the Golden Flower, wherein a bunch of Imperial brats try to bump each other off using vast hordes of ninjas and sinister-looking cups of tea. But the good news is that it's a Noel "Squid and the Whale" Baumbach script based on Claire Messud's 2006 novel. The story follows a group of aimless Ivy League New Yorkers approaching their 30s with trepidation in 2001, just before the attack on the World Trade Center changes their world. So think modern angst in the Empire state rather than empire building and technicolor armies.
The book received rave reviews on release and was long-listed for the Booker prize. But don't get too hepped up for this just yet. Howard's still got to get Frost/Nixon to go, as well as that unwanted Dan Brown sequel (OK, presumably there's someone out there who wants it; we're just not sure who) before he gets to this - not to mention the fact that he's been connected with the remake of French thriller Cache and '70s sci-fi film Colossus: The Forbin Project.
If you're peckish for a bit of Baumbach in the meantime, check out the upcoming Margot at the Wedding, which he wrote and directed, or get ahead of the curve on this film by reading Messud's novel. Try to spot the moments of emotional turmoil where a bit of wire fu could profitably be added - we've counted eight so far.