Rob McElhenney was only 27 when he created and sold the comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia to FX alongside co-creator/co-star Glenn Howerton, and it appears that he’s being equally ambitious in tackling his first feature film project.  McElhenney recently pitched a family action film called Figment with to Legendary Pictures with a four-minute test reel.  The original idea is a passion project of sorts for McElhenney, and following the pitch, Legendary has now acquired the Amblin-tinged project with McElhenney attached to write and make his feature directorial debut.  More details after the jump.

Per Deadline, Legendary has closed a deal with McElhenney for the It’s Always Sunny co-creator and co-star to write and direct Figment based on his original idea.  The film is described as a family action adventure that revolves around an imaginative boy and his family “who are thrown for a loop when their greatest fears come to life.”  Legendary has been home to plenty of genre properties like Pacific Rim and Godzilla, but Figment may see them entering a more family friendly realm as the project’s thematic aspirations are reportedly comparable to Goonies or E.T.

This is a curious piece of material from McElhenney, and not exactly what I would have expected from his feature debut.  That said, I’m very curious to see what becomes of this, and the prospect of McElhenney teaming up with a studio like Legendary is quite interesting.  Hopefully we hear more updates soon.