Another board game adaptation? Well, at least this one sounds pretty cool, almost cool enough to give the game a shot. We're the Millers director Rawson Marshall Thurber has been tasked by Lionsgate with directing Dust, based on the popular sci-fi strategy game that uses miniature busts. Dan Lin (The Lego Movie) will produce the film which is set in an alternate steampunk-inspired world in which WWII never ended and the world is divided into three super powers: the Allies, the Axis, and the combined USSR/China union known as the SSU.
Movies based on toys really need to step their game up after The Lego Movie, which may be why Sony has sought out Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody (Juno) to rewrite their upcoming Barbie movie. Cody takes over for previous writer Jenny Bicks, penning the live-action adventure of the beloved doll, her thousands of clothing styles, and hundreds of careers. While Cody may seem like an unlikely choice for a project like this, one thing she's great at is writing strong, positive female characters and that's what Barbie should be about. Right? [Variety]
Last summer we learned Steve Pink (Hot Tub Time Machine) had been set to direct Disney's Home Alone-esque comedy, Overnight at 42nd Street, which was also eyed as a starring role for Will Ferrell. Well, both are no longer involved with the project, and now Variety is reporting that Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) is on board as director. Ferrell's role, that of the father spending the night with his son in a lavish toy store, is now up for grabs.
