'Magnum' holsters helmer

Thurber to direct bigscreen version of '80s 'P.I.'

By GABRIEL SNYDER

Rawson Marshall Thurber has been tapped to write and helm the bigscreen adaptation of "Magnum P.I." for Universal Pictures. Brian Grazer and Imagine Entertainment are producing.

Thurber helmed 2003's summer laffer hit "Dodgeball" for 20th Century Fox. Along with that pic's star Ben Stiller and producer Start Cornfeld, Thurber set up a high-concept laffer last week at DreamWorks (Daily Variety, Jan. 20).

When Imagine first optioned the original 1980s action skein in 2003, Mike McCullers, who co-wrote the last two "Austin Powers" sequels with Mike Myers, was hired to pen a draft (Daily Variety, Sept. 24, 2003).

Execs producing on the film are skein co-creators Donald Bellisario and Glen Larson. Overseeing for U are production prexy Donna Langley and exec Erik Baiers. Kim Roth is overseeing at Imagine.