Elton John’s production company Rocket Pictures has acquired the rights to Derek Keilty’s book series Will Gallows and the Snake-Bellied Troll. Deadline reports that John has set Gnomeo and Juliet writer/director Kelly Asbury. Rocket Pictures was responsible for Gnomeo and Juliet, and John plans to include musical aspects in Will Gallows much in the vein of that film. Will Gallows tells the tale of a sky cowboy who is tasked with bringing down the evil snake-bellied troll bandit. The story is said to blend fantasy and the Wild West (because the mashing up of those two genres has worked so well in the past).

Asbury wrote and directed Gnomeo and Juliet and was the co-director on Shrek 2. Will Gallows and the Snake-Bellied Troll will be produced using a blend of live-action and CGI. Personally, I found Gnomeo and Juliet incredibly hard to get through, as the story meandered and the song breaks came seemingly out of nowhere. Hopefully Asbury and John have a new direction in mind for Will Gallows. Hit the jump for a synopsis of Keilty’s book.

Here’s the synopsis for Will Gallows and the Snake-Bellied Troll:

Will Gallows, a young elfling sky cowboy, rides out on a perilous quest to bring the evil snake-bellied troll bandit, Noose Wormworx, to justice. Noose is wanted for the murder of Will’s pa — the former deputy sheriff of Oretown. Will’s journey takes him deep into the heart of the Westrock, to the dark underground city of Deadrock, where he soon uncovers a deadly secret that could spell disaster not only for Oretown, but for the whole of the Westrock. [Amazon]