'Nerds' flag rising again

Fox Searchlight preps new serving of 'Revenge'

By MICHAEL FLEMING

McG

Even campus nerds are not immune to Hollywood's remake frenzy.

Fox Searchlight is mobilizing a redo of "Revenge of the Nerds," the 1984 college comedy about a frat for the socially awkward, thick-glasses-sporting set that exacts revenge on the football players who've repeatedly humiliated them.

Pic is being written by Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah, creators of the new ABC drama "Life as We Know It." Wonderland's McG and Stephanie Savage are producing; "The OC" star Adam Brody and "Grounded for Life" star Brett Harrison are co-producing.

McG said the nerd alert was sounded by Brody, who cooked up the idea with pal Harrison, and pitched it on the set of "OC," the Fox series on which McG is exec producer.

"He said everyone he knew would like to see a new take on the film, and I told him that I knew every single line of the original film and the sequel," said McG, who admitted to being the recipient of more than one wedgie during his formative years.

"I could definitely relate to every aspect of those films and was absolutely on the nerd side," he said.

Savage said Searchlight was a good match because the plan is to make an edgier version of the film that will probably merit an R rating. The original pic was a surprise hit that led to two sequels, the first of which was directed by Jeff Kanew.

McG said the script, being written by Sachs and Judah, will follow a storyline similar to the original, and likely will feature cameos by original castmembers. Searchlight's Julia Dray and Peter Rice will oversee the campus mayhem.

Brody and Harrison might appear in the film if their series' schedules allow it. Brody recently signed to star in Jonathan Kasdan-directed "In the Land of Women" for Castle Rock.

Wonderland is prepping several projects, including the potential McG-directing vehicles "Evel Knievel," an Andrew Kevin Walker-scripted biopic at Universal, and "Hot Wheels" at Columbia.