Raimi books a 'Free' ride
'Spider-Man' helmer scores Sony 'Wee' pic
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Sony Pictures Entertainment has acquired the book and set Pamela Pettler to write the script.
Raimi and Josh Donen will produce through their Sony-based company, along with Created By's Vince Gerardis and Ralph Vicinanza. Studio is aiming to develop an event-sized live-action family film that Raimi could possibly direct as the follow-up to his third "Spider-Man" installment, which begins production this month.
Published in 2003, "Wee Free Men" has kid empowerment and otherworldly themes with an edgy, irreverent tone. A 9-year-old farm girl heads off to a parallel world to retrieve a brother who has been grabbed by a nasty fairy queen. She battles the monsters of Fairyland with the help of 6-inch-tall blue-faced rowdies who wear kilts, speak in thick Scottish brogues, steal sheep and drink heavily.
The novel is part of the British author's Disc World series, whose volumes are big sellers around the world. Project came together after Pettler read the book and persuaded Gerardis and Vicinanza, who controlled the rights for the author, to come aboard. Raimi and Donen sparked to their pitch.
Columbia exec Sam Dickerman will supervise.
Pettler most recently co-penned "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride" and co-wrote for Sony the Robert Zemeckis-directed CGI pic "Monster House." She's writing "9," a CGI fantasy for Focus Features that Burton is producing and Shane Acker is directing, and is rewriting "Nick Tungsten, Nightmare Hunter" for director Doug Liman at Paramount and Nickelodeon. Pettler is also set to adapt Roald Dahl novel "The Twits" for Disney and Vanguard.
