'Shakespeare' heads to bigscreen

Paramount reteams with 'Spiderwick' duo

By TATIANA SIEGEL

Paramount Pictures is reteaming with "Spiderwick Chronicles" producers Mark Canton and Ellen Goldsmith-Vein to bring young-adult novel "Spanking Shakespeare" to the bigscreen.

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 -- a writing project that every high school senior must complete.

Random House Books published the book last year.

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

"Spanking Shakespeare" will be released under Paramount's MTV Films label.

Canton's recent producing credits also include "300" and "The Perfect Getaway."

The Gotham Group, which is headed by Goldsmith-Vein, has a slate of film and TV projects that includes the Gary Ross-helmed "Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper" for Universal and 20th Century Fox's "The Devil You Know," with Shawn Levy attached to direct.

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