Greenberg is finally hitting theaters across the country, and with it comes the news that Noah Baumbach and Ben Stiller could be teaming up again on a new children's movie Mr. Popper's Penguins. Variety is reporting that Baumbach is already in talks to direct the film for 20th Century Fox, with Stiller in talks to star, though no deals have been struck yet. Fox acquired the rights to the film adaptation of the beloved children's novel last year and have had scribes Sean Anders and John Morris working on the screenplay. More after the jump:
Mr. Popper's Penguins is based on a classic 1938 children's novel. The plot involves a house painter whose fascination with the arctic leads him to write a letter to real explorers, one of whom sends him back a real penguin which he keeps in his icebox. Later on he receives a female penguin from the zoo, which of course leads Popper gaining a litter 12 penguins. After the penguins begin to be too much for him to financially handle, he creates Popper's Performing Penguins, a stage act that goes on tour leaving wacky shenanigans to ensue. The book was written by Richard and Florence Atwater and won the 1939 Newbery Award. Of course Baumbach co-wrote last years film (also an adapted children's novel), Fantastic Mr. Fox, so I have complete confidence that Baumbach is the right choice for the job.
