Los Angeles

Posted: Tue., Jan. 13, 2009, 8:00pm PT

Paramount tackles 'Shakespeare'

Lagana to adapt 'Spanking' for big screen

Daniel Lagana has been tapped to adapt the young-adult book "Spanking Shakespeare" for Paramount Pictures.

Based on the debut novel by New York-based eighth-grade teacher Jake Wizner, story centers on Shakespeare Shapiro, who chronicles every mortifying detail of his quest to get into college and find a girlfriend in his memoir.

"Spanking Shakespeare," which was published in paperback in October, will be released under Paramount's MTV Films label.

Ellen Goldsmith-Vein is producing via her Gotham Group shingle alongside Mark Canton. The two previously teamed for Paramount's "The Spiderwick Chronicles."

Canton Prods.' David Hopwood and the Gotham Group's Eddie Gamarra will exec produce.

TV scribe Lagana developed the pilot "Above and Beyond" for 20th Century Fox and the pilot "Boston Accent" at NBC. Gotham Group, which manages Lagana, recently partnered with Principato-Young on Lagana's script "Unique Visitor."

Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

HERE ARE OTHER ARTICLES RECOMMENDED FOR YOU…
    Newstogram
    SharePrint VarietyVariety RSS feedsBookmark

    Get Variety:

    Variety AppsVariety DigitalNewsletters

    Variety Luxury Real Estate