In the old days, animation directors just did animation, and while a live-action director might dip his toe in animated waters, it hardly ever happened the other way around. However this year The Incredible’s Brad Bird has taken on Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, and Wall*E’s Andrew Stanton’s has shot John Carter Of Mars.
And after the success of Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, Phil Lord and Chris Miller barely mentioned making another animated project, instead jumping on the remake of 21 Jump Street, which will star Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.
Now they’ve got another live-action flick up their sleeves, with THR reporting that the duo are in talks with Disney to develop and direct Bob: The Musical. The movie has already been through several iterations, with Mike Bender (Reign Over Me) writing a version that Adam Shankman (Hairspray) was going to direct, before Babaloo Mandel and Lowell Ganz (Fever Pitch) penned a script that Mark Waters (Mean Girls) hoped to helm. However the pieces never came together, and so Lord and Miller have been brought onboard.
Bob follows a regular guy who, after a blow to the head, can suddenly hear the inner songs of everyones hearts as his reality is instantly turned into a musical, much to his dismay. Marc Shaiman, who composed the original music for Hairspray, is writing the music and lyrics for Bob.
It doesn’t sound like the movie is anywhere near shooting yet, with Lord & Miller overseeing development while they make 21 Jump Street, which should start filming in the spring. Bob is a nifty idea for a fun film, but one that way be difficult to get to work, so don’t expect it anytime soon.