the industry

Barry Sonnenfeld to Save World From Aliens Again

Alien Attack!: MGM has picked up action-comedy script The How-to Guide for Saving the World and snagged Barry Sonnenfeld to direct and produce. Written by BenDavid Grabinski, THTGFSTW (that’s what we’re calling it; you should too) focuses on a loser who discovers a book on how to fight alien invasions. Then, what do you know, aliens invade and this jackass is the only one who can stop it. Sonnenfeld is no stranger to alien-themed action comedy — perhaps you saw a little movie called Men in Black — but he might have to market THTGFSTW without one of Will Smith’s patented tie-in rap songs (that title would be really hard to shoehorn into a chorus). Good luck! [HR]

Penis Pilot: HBO has picked up schlong show Hung for ten episodes. Produced by Sideways director Alexander Payne, the dark comedy stars Thomas Jane as a high-school basketball coach with a prodigious penis who finds a way to use it to his advantage. We’re guessing he shows it to people for money. [HR]

Back to the Future: Waltz With Bashir director Ari Folman has acquired the rights to The Futurological Congress, a short story from sci-fi writer Stainslaw Lem. The futuristic tale of seemingly pristine Utopia and its dark underbelly will be shot as live-action-animated hybrid. “Think of your favorite young actress. She’ll appear that way at the beginning, and then as the film goes on, she’ll be drawn like she’s 50,” Folman said. We can’t wait for Abigail Breslin to take this on. [HR]

Family Affair: ABC has given the green light to An American Family, a documentary-style single-camera comedy from Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd. The show will revolve around three families living in the same suburb. One is made up of mom, dad and three kids. Another includes a 60-year-old man, his 30-year-old Colombian wife, and her child. The last family is made up of a two gays and their adopted Asian baby. A fourth family, made up entirely of little people with flippers, just missed the cut. [Variety]

Another Naked Man: Golden Circle Films has nabbed Matthew Chapman’s script Naked, a comedy about a man who vows to run from Santa Monica to Studio City to prove something to his wife and save their rocky marriage. It’s based on a The Naked Man, a short story written by Brazilian author Fernando Sabino, for whom Chapman had been waiting to die so he could sell his script. Interestingly, Sabino was bludgeoned to death with a screenplay. [HR]

Gimmicks: Comedy Central has given the go-ahead to Secret Girlfriend, a half-hour comedy based on a popular Web series. In the show the viewer is the star of a dating show with the actors addressing the camera. Comedy Central has ordered six episodes of the comedy, produced by Eric Weinberg (Scrubs, Californication), which will give lots of losers the unhealthy perception that women are actually interested in them. It’s kinda sad really. [Variety]

Barry Sonnenfeld to Save World From Aliens Again