Disney is still moving forward with their long-in-gestation animated film King of the Elves. Variety reports that the studio has tapped Horrible Bosses scribe Michael Markowitz to write the latest version of the screenplay. Based on a short story by Phillip K. Dick, the film tells the story of a group of elves and one dwarf living in the Mississippi Delta. After a human saves their life from an evil troll, they name him their king.

The film was initially under the guidance of Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker (Brother Bear), but when Pixar guru John Lasseter became chief creative officer of the animation department, the film was put back into development. Chris Williams (Bolt) is sheparding the project, with Lasseter producing. The plan is now to set King of the Elves for a holiday 2013 release as a companion to that summer’s Monsters University from Pixar.