'Punk' rocks D'Works

DreamWorks buys 'Farm'

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

'Punk Farm'

DreamWorks Animation has harvested the music-driven CG-animation project "Punk Farm," picking up film rights to the children's book of the same name and hiring "Ice Age: The Meltdown" co-writer Jim Hecht to pen the script.

Author Jarrett J. Krosoczka's popular tome revolves around a group of farm animals who have one goal in mind -- to become an underground rock band. Together, a sheep, a chicken, a pig, a goat and a cow journey to perform at the first-ever animal music fest, Livestock.

Film project was developed by producer Kevin Messick and Hecht, who together pitched DWA chief exec Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Messick will take an exec producing credit on "Punk Farm" and share a story credit with Hecht.

"We both loved the idea of this group of farm animals with the rebellious spirit of punk rock," Messick said.

The "Ice Age" sequel -- which opened at nearly $70 million last weekend -- marked Hecht's first feature credit, although he's written for television. He's repped by ICM and Management 360.

Messick was most recently a producer on romantic comedy "A Lot Like Love," starring Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet. He's got several projects in development, including "Who's Your Mama" for 20th Century Fox" and "One Shot," which he's producing with Cruise/Wagner Prods. for Paramount.

DWA's upcoming CG films include summer tentpole "Over the Hedge" and the fall's "Flushed Away," a co-production of DWA and U.K.-based Aardman Animation. DWA's "Shrek the Third" will be released next year.